Destiny Rebirth
by HeirOfRohan
Summary: Naruto died during his battle with Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, or did he? Given a second chance at life to correct past mistakes, Naruto is determined to make sure that the dark future he experienced would never come to pass. And, he will need the help of a cute blonde girl with violet eyes that looks so much like his own mother. Time-travel. Very Strong/Intelligent Naruto. NaruXNaru
1. A Second Chance

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter One**

* * *

"It's about time we finished this, once and for all, don't you agree Kurama-nii?" a tall, young man said, with hair shining as bright as the sun itself.

The young man had roguish, spiky blonde hair that was messy and twin bangs that reached his jawline, framing his angular face. His shining azure orbs did nothing to hide his devilishly handsome appearance, and most distinctive of all were his exotic, birthmark-like whisker marks; three on each cheek, making him appear more mature than his age suggested and also more akin to a feline or canine.

He was wearing a battered and torn orange and black jumpsuit which was torn open at the front, exposing a fishnet body suit underneath which did little to hide his toned and well-muscled form. His azure orbs stared ahead, unwavering as he tightened his grip on a kunai knife in his hand.

A deep rumbling voice spoke into the young man's mind. **"I couldn't agree more ... considering what she did to your friends and father."**

"I know," the young man replied, sorrow seeping out in waves, "That is why ... it ends here!"

**"****I have already assimilated the memories from your father," **the newly named Kurama, the greatest and most fearsome of the Bijū (Tailed Beasts), the Kyūbi no Kitsune, said, **"Put them to good use — do not let him down."**

"Got it Kurama," the blonde replied, "Uzumaki Naruto never goes back on his word."

**"****That's the spirit … now kick her ass from here to Sunday." **

"That's the plan."

And the woman in question was suspended in the air, her three cold Dōjutsu enhanced eyes staring at everything before her, her expression blank and emotionless. The Goddess of Destruction, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, truly lived up to her namesake, as the landscape around her resembled an apocalyptic graveyard of gargantuan proportions. Dead shinobi and countless destroyed wildlife littered the scene, multiple craters decorating the land for miles around, and the sky was a dull grey, as if the gods were weeping from the death and destruction. After the traitorous Uchiha Madara sealed the Jūbi into himself, thus inadvertently releasing her, she had been on a rampage ever since.

For countless hours the remaining shinobi of the battered Alliance who were not under the Infinite Tsukuyomi, slugged it out with the Goddess, but they soon realized that no amount of planning, strategizing, ninjutsu, booby traps, kinjutsu, genjutsu much less taijutsu of any kind could even put a scratch on her, much less kill her outright. Hatake Kakashi had already exhausted his chakra reserves and was recuperating with Haruno Sakura's help, and Uchiha Obito, the traitor-turned-ally was unconscious due to fatigue and severe chakra exhaustion. The reincarnated Hokages, the Shodai, Nidaime, Sandaime and Yondaime were also powerless as seen when the Nidaime's soul was forcibly pulled out of him, turning his body into ash, leaving behind a White Zetsu clone.

Uzumaki Naruto had come a long way since then. He was no longer the dense idiot that everyone knew anymore. After the merging with Asura's potent chakra, his mind had become clearer, and he was finally able to think maturely and rationally for once in his life. He knew this was a losing battle, even with Indra's successor, Uchiha Sasuke's help. He also knew that the only way to win this battle was to forcibly seal the Goddess back to her realm with the strongest fūinjutsu technique ever created, and can only be done in collaboration with Sasuke.

And there was also another reason: his father entrusted him with his own memories, and with that his 'Will of Fire'. The Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, sacrificed his soul to protect his son when Kaguya tried to come at him from behind, resulting in Minato acting quickly by teleporting to his son and push him out of the way, but not before transferring his memories through the **Shindenshin no Jutsu (Mind Transfer Technique)** – a technique he learned from Yamanaka Inoichi. With one last tearful smile, Minato faded away like the Nidaime before him.

That was where Naruto found himself now, staring up at the Ōtsutsuki with a hint of hatred in his cerulean eyes.

Hearing footsteps from beside him, Naruto smirked. "Took you long enough, teme."

"Shut up, dobe," Uchiha Sasuke replied with a small smirk. He opened his eyes, revealing a fully matured Sharingan in his right eye and a Rinnegan in his left. "I was just letting you rest. Shouldn't you be thanking me?"

Nodding with a slight scoff, Naruto turned his attention towards the demon in front of him. "Let's do this Sasuke ... one last time." And at that moment his entire body was engulfed in a brilliant yellow light. When it died down, Naruto was standing there with his _Rikudō Sennin Mōdo_ (Six Paths Sage Mode), azure eyes turning bright yellow as he glared at the woman who wanted to kill everyone he held dear. "Are you with me?"

Sasuke just smirked. "Do you even have to ask?" he said as he drew his katana, and they began their final assault.

In a space of a few seconds, Sasuke had already teleported right beside Kaguya and had his left arm extended in a seal, while Naruto appeared on the left with his right arm extended with the same seal. Both of them had almost touched the woman, when suddenly she vanished. Before they even had time to react to her disappearance, she reappeared behind them, palms extended outwards.

"Foolish children," the woman muttered before launching her _Ash-Killing Bones_ from her palms, quickly skewering both men on them. "You stood no chance ... from the very beginning."

And with that final parting, she went on her way to kill off the rest of the surviving shinobi.

Naruto couldn't believe it as his body was slowly dissolving into ash. They literally didn't have the time to react, much less defend against her attacks. They were outmaneuvered and outclassed since the start, even with their newfound powers. Tears welled in Naruto's eyes as he cursed silently, cursing himself for being so weak, for being unable to save his friends, for failing his father and mother's wishes ... he felt utterly and completely useless.

As his body slowly cracked and his vision slowly succumbed to darkness, the last thing he saw was Sasuke, lying next to him in a similar state, mouthing "Thank you, brother." to him, before he closed his eyes and let the darkness take over.

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes and was expecting to see something akin to flames and eternal suffering ... for failing to save his world from the merciless clutches of Kaguya. But instead he found himself in an ethereal, white plain, where unknown to him, time and space were practically non-existent. The sore feeling of his muscles — long hours of non-stop fighting did that to people — were gone as well as any fatigue he had accumulated. In fact, he finally noticed that he wasn't even breathing!

Naruto sighed as he found the situation he was in to be increasingly confusing and, as Shikamaru would put it, troublesome. He tested his arms and legs, finding out that he could move them which relieved him greatly — he didn't like staying in one place for too long. Although his patience tolerance was increased during his years of training, he still had a shorter fuse than most people and it still irked him greatly if he was kept waiting or couldn't do anything for long periods of time, but he was getting it under control at least.

Or at least trying to...

Pushing himself up to sit, Naruto looked around him to see if there was anything out of the usual white, which he found none. He took a deep breath, even though he couldn't breathe, and spoke out loud, "Hello! Anyone there?!"

The silence was his answer, and he asked again. "Hello! Someone? Anyone?" and was greeted again by the deafening silence. Naruto shivered as a cold chill ran through him. If he was to spend the rest of his days here, alone, without friends, family or even _enemies_, he would've preferred to be thrown into the Shinigami's stomach and forced to fight for all eternity. At least that was better than slowly going insane in this realm…

"Ah, you're finally here, my child," a melodious voice said through the deafening silence, and Naruto immediately turned to look at the owner of the new voice, and he couldn't help but be slack-jawed.

The owner was a beautiful woman of average height, her angelic features and long flowing midnight black hair didn't do her justice as she was far beyond the epitome of true beauty. Her grey orbs shone with wisdom and compassion, and her flowing blue kimono with a red obi sash was swaying with the breeze, but to Naruto's surprise and slight shock, he couldn't feel any kind wind anywhere.

The woman smiled warmly at Naruto. "It's good to see you well, my Child of Prophecy."

Naruto looked at the woman in shock. "Y-You knew I was the Child of Prophecy?"

The woman nodded, the smile never leaving her features. "I was the one who bestowed upon you that title after all, long before you were brought into this world." She explained, and Naruto was floored. Putting all the pieces together in his head, from the prophecy told to him by the Elder Toad Sage, along with the notes left by Jiraiya of the Sannin, and the fact that he was currently well and truly dead…

Then it all clicked, and his jaw fell again.

Slowly pointing a shaky finger at the woman, who still wore that warm smile on her face, Naruto finally found his voice, "Y-You're K-Kami-sama!" he shouted a bit louder than usual. That was the only logical explanation he could come up with in this ridiculous situation, that the woman in front of him was in fact the Goddess of the Gods. His preposterous theory was proven true when the smile on the woman's face widened just a fraction.

"As expected of the champion of my choosing," Kami said, giggling when she saw that Naruto was still staring at her in disbelief. "And there is much more you don't know, so much more, but never mind that." She said as she gracefully sat down, gesturing for the young blonde to do the same, which he did, even if he was still confused. "So, tell me my child, what happened?"

Naruto broke himself out of his stupor, sighed and remained silent. After a moment, he spoke, his voice subdued and sad. "Ōtsutsuki Kaguya ended the world, and I was in the thick of it, and I was powerless to stop it. That's it, plain and simple." It was obvious to everyone that the boy was extremely frustrated with himself for not being able to save his precious people, and he was blaming himself for it. "She was just . . . too strong for us . . . _how do you fight a God-like entity like that?_" he said the last part with as much venom as he could. No matter what they did, be it ninjutsu or any other branches of the shinobi arts, the Goddess of Death had a counter for all of them, even their near-instantaneous teleportation techniques.

Kami nodded as she offered him a sad smile of her own. "I understand, I'm sorry for all the hardships you have to go through my child." She said, and Naruto looked into her grey eyes, "Ōtsutsuki Kaguya was once a mortal – kind and gentle, scarred by war and violence, but corrupted by power – a power which she couldn't even hope to contain and comprehend." The deity explained as Naruto listened intently, paying full attention. "With her newfound power, she ended all conflict by enslaving the world, ruled with fear and intimidation. She was considered an abomination the moment she ingested the Shinju's Chakra Fruit…" Naruto had to agree with that sentiment. That woman's a monster. "But that's not what I came here today for, a history lesson." Kami explained as Naruto looked bewildered, "No, because I have need of you once again my child. Help me save another world from the fate of your own."

At her words, Naruto's eyes widened in shock. He spluttered as he tried to speak, "B-But Kami-sama! I couldn't even save my own world and precious people, how am I going to save another world if couldn't even protect my own?" he asked, self-doubt gnawing at him from every corner of his consciousness. How could someone be trusted with such an enormous responsibility I they can't even protect their own world from being destroyed? Even if he was the Child of Prophecy, his failures had to be taken into account right?

At his explanation, Kami merely shook her head. "That's where… you are wrong, Naruto-kun." She said, sounding serious, making Naruto look up at her in confusion, "Ōtsutsuki Kaguya has been manipulating your world through her will. You know him as Black Zetsu."

Naruto nodded. He recalled seeing the sick plant like mass of evil that kept spouting about how his 'Okaa-sama' was going to reclaim _her_ chakra, and proceeded to make a mockery out of the Uchiha Clan by manipulating them from the very beginning, starting the cycle of hate and suffering, the Curse of Hatred. He wanted nothing more than to shove a mountain sized Rasengan into the sick creature for messing with his best friend's life, even before he was born.

"Through him, he kept tabs on everything and everyone involved in her return to life, and used him to steer the course of history in her favor." Kami explained without missing a beat, "Madara, Obito, the Kyūbi's attack on your village, Sasuke, the Uchiha Clan Massacre . . . and the list goes on. Kaguya had been the one to pull the strings in your world, thus, she was able to subdue both you and Sasuke so effortlessly. She had predicted your actions and acted accordingly, giving her an almost certain win, no matter how you change the situation, the result would always be the same: Ōtsutsuki Kaguya winning the Fourth Shinobi World War." Naruto gritted his teeth in anger. So that's how the woman killed him… she had been the one to orchestrate it!

"H-How…" Naruto muttered angrily, making Kami look at him sadly. "How can someone fight against something like _that_? It's impossible!" he cried out in anguish. No matter how hard he fought to protect his precious people, they would still end up dead and Kaguya still wins. The world seemed to crash down around him as Naruto wallowed deeper and deeper into depression…

"There is one way."

Naruto's head shot up at that, azure eyes brimming with slight hope. "There is?" There was a way? It all seemed impossible for him to beat something like someone predicting and basically programming your death…

But so was standing here talking to a deity.

"Yes there is. Kaguya didn't take into account outside interference: me." Kami said with a smile, with was slowly mirrored by the young blonde, "I have watched countless of my worshippers live and die, prosper and suffer. But you my child, you have endured the harshest of them all… a kind young man such as yourself doesn't deserve such torment." Kami explained sadly, tears brimming in her eyes, making Naruto look at her in shock. "I'm sorry. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have suffered . . . but you were my only hope, my champion."

Naruto was completely speechless. Here he was – perhaps the only one – to be apologized to, by Kami herself. He felt honored in some twisted way, but he was too kind a person to receive such endearment, even if it was from a deity that made his early life a living hell.

He wasn't that kind of person, he held no grudges.

"Don't worry Kami-sama, I don't blame you!" Naruto said with a bright grin, "I don't like holding grudges, even against my enemies, but Kaguya's an exception . . ." he struck a thinking pose, and smiled. "You could pay me back by helping me kick her ass though! I would appreciate that very much! Like giving me an extra strong bloodline! Oh! Oh! Like the Mokuton, or Meiton, that would be so cool if I did . . ." Kami giggled as Naruto went on about how he would rub it in Sasuke's face if he did have Mokuton, or any other bloodlines for that matter. He was acting like the Naruto she knew, not the Naruto that the reality of war produced; a cold, dubious and cynical shinobi, who always watches his back and ties up loose ends.

Kami giggled again. "Slow down Naruto-kun, I'm not done yet." She said, and Naruto had the decency to look sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm going to throw a wrench in Kaguya's plans; I am sending you to a parallel dimension."

Naruto could only blink. "What?"

Kami giggled again. Despite being far smarter than he was before, Naruto can be still dense sometimes, but not as much as before. "Don't worry. Everything is the same as your dimension, only a few bits and pieces and minor details that changed, but nothing _major_." She said the last word with a small sense of mischief that Naruto easily picked up, and he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Noticing the look, Kami asked, "What?"

"I recognize that tone anywhere. It's the way I talk when I wanted to prank somebody when I was younger." Naruto deadpanned with a smile. Lesson one in dealing with him: never prank a professional prankster, or he would be honor bound to prank you back, even if you were a deity.

Kami laughed awkwardly, making Naruto sweatdrop at her behavior. "I guess you're right." She said before continuing, changing topics quickly, "The only important thing that's changed is that Kaguya no longer holds an advantage over you. She can't predict what you will do next, but you know all her cards. _But be careful_," Kami said seriously, "Think about what you're about to change and act accordingly. Don't deviate too much from the original timeline, or Kaguya's will might suspect something." Naruto nodded seriously in response. No way he was screwing up on this once in a lifetime chance to save his friends, so he kept her words to heart. "I think that's all really,"

Naruto nodded. He bowed deeply, "Thank you Kami-sama . . . for this second chance."

"Think nothing of it; think of it as . . . an apology, for making your life difficult."

"Hai. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't," Kami said as a glowing red circle appeared under Naruto, "Be strong Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto. Find strength and courage along the way. Also, love is always right around the corner and in arms reach."

"What?" was his intelligent response.

Kami giggled. "You'll find it soon enough. Both wonderful and golden." She cryptically said. "Be safe, my child. Now, I think someone's waiting for you on the other side."

Before Naruto can ask what she meant by that, he was engulfed by a bright flash of light and his world went dark.

* * *

It had been a long time since Naruto had been knocked unconscious by something. The last time had been when Sakura punched him through five apartment blocks, ten trees and a few thousand meters away from his apartment to training ground seven. _That_ had been a painful experience, and he had been the dense idiot then, and thinking back on it, he deserved it for his insensitive remark of her small chest and forehead . . . but he would always remember the odd feeling of a growing headache that would last the entire day.

Naruto groaned as he forced one of his eyes open, and the first thing he saw was the tree canopy, probably one of Hi no Kuni's many forests, and also the blue sky. Managing to open both of his eyes, he craned his neck to scan his surroundings, and saw that he was in the forest of one of Konoha's training grounds. Taking a closer look at the trees, he noticed them to be . . . younger and healthier in some weird way. He groaned again when he tried to move his arms and legs; all his long hours of fatigue and wear all coming back to him at once. Deciding to check his chakra reserves, he found out that they were almost empty, much to his shock. His massive reserves of chakra, monstrous even, depleted to just a small trickle . . . just enough for him to stay alive.

Naruto then sensed something strange. He felt power coming from multiple points of his body, almost like small storage devices. Gathering enough strength to raise one of his arms, he finally noticed the source of the energy signatures: Chakra Storage Seals. He grinned weakly as he can only guess one person who could give it to him. '_Thank you Kami-sama.'_ Without wasting any more time Naruto activated all of them with a slight flare of his chakra – there were ten seals in total – and soon he felt his strength and chakra coming back to him, filling up his reserves gradually, and he felt much better.

"Itai," Naruto muttered as he forced himself to sit up, and he started to chuckle weakly, "So this is what coming back to life feels like . . . honestly, I don't like it."

The blonde looked down and saw that he was no longer in his standard choice of clothing anymore. He was currently wearing a white t-shirt with a red whirlpool design on the back, a pair of brown khaki pants held together by an orange belt, and a pair of clean open-toed sandals. The change in clothing didn't startle the young time and dimension traveler that much . . . but it was the other change that shocked him. Quickly staggering to his feet, Naruto stretched out his senses… he was a damn good sensor if he was to say so himself, he charted out a mental map of his surroundings, and smiled in relief when he sensed a small creek nearby.

"So . . . thirsty," the young blonde said and he made his way towards the general direction of the creek, and sure enough, it was there, the sounds of running fresh water were music to his ears. Kneeling in front of it, Naruto moaned in relief as the cool water made its way down his dry throat. He can never forget the particular sweet taste of Hi no Kuni's fresh river water, which he missed dearly during the war, where fresh water was scarce and the land barren due to constant fighting. He proceeded to splash his face with water to refresh and was in the process of wiping it dry when he looked down at the water.

"W-What the hell?" the young blonde muttered.

Staring back at him was his reflection, but it was not the face he was expecting to see. The Naruto that was staring back at him was very much younger than he was before . . . thirteen years old if he had to hazard a guess. But unlike when he was at that age before, he looked more mature and his features were more pronounced. There were no baby fat left on his face, and most importantly…his whisker-like birthmarks were gone, making him look like his father's clone. He noticed that he was fairly tall, a reasonable five-foot-five… much taller than his midget height of four-foot-nine when he was thirteen back then. Naruto sighed as he started to chuckle. Time travel and dimension travel weren't his forte, but after melding with his father's memories, he better understood the basics of Space-Time and was obliged to believe that this was all true, no matter how unbelievable it was. This was certainly unexpected . . . maybe this was what Kami wanted, sending him back in time to save the future. And for that second chance, he wouldn't trade it for anything.

Naruto chuckled, "Well, I can't say I'm not happy about this."

**"****How can you not be? You're alive, that's all that matters. . ."** a voice said inside his head that made Naruto pause, and a small, tearful smile came on his face. He'd recognize that voice anywhere… it belonged to his lifelong companion, partner and surrogate big brother: Kurama, the Kyūbi no Kitsune. He could still remember the day when the Bijū swore on his life that he would protect Naruto and be with him always, as a brother and partner.

Naruto smiled, "It's great to see you, nii-san."

The great fox nodded with a toothy grin, and Naruto swore he felt the fox's sharp canines widen. **"Good to be back, otōto. How are you feeling?"**

Naruto groaned, but grinned nonetheless. "Like I've been through hell and back, and then challenged Rock Lee to a spar while he's drunk." He could still remember that day when someone accidently spiked Lee's food with sake, and Naruto had to resort to using his Sennin Mōdo (Sage Mode) to calm him down… destroying a few housing complexes and a training ground in the process. After that day, no one dared to let Lee near a sake bottle ever again.

Kurama's howling laughter was his reply. **"Hah! I still remember that day. Broke an arm or two and a couple of ribs if I remembered correctly… had to heal your sorry ass from the ground up."**

Naruto grimaced as he remembered the beating he took. "Yeah… that was embarrassing."

After sobering, Kurama became serious. **"Joking aside, what are you going to do now? From what I can tell . . . you're near Konoha, in one of the training grounds."**

Naruto nodded as he started to walk in the direction of the village. "I don't know Kurama… I really don't know… how can I explain it to them? That I'm from another dimension, and sort of time travelled and was sent here by Kami to save the future?" he asked, and after a moment's pause he sighed and shook his head. "They'd label me as a lunatic and send me to T&amp;I for Interrogation."

Kurama sighed from where he was. **"Actually kit, it's a lot more complicated than that . . ."**

"What do you mean?"

The Bijū cleared his throat, before speaking. **"I don't know how to explain this… but it seems a part of my chakra…is somewhere in the village." **Naruto visibly looked shocked as he staggered, not believing what he was hearing. **"But it isn't like the feeling of my Ying and Yang chakras where we split into two entities… no, this feeling's different. It feels like I'm connected to it, but it is still dormant, like I'm a part of it, like how you would react to your mindscape when I call you in. It's like I'm in two places at once…" **Naruto listened intently as he tried to let the information sink in, **"The only conclusion I can give is this: there is another you in the village."**

"Argh, that's just great!" Naruto cried out in frustration as his suspicions were right on the dot. "Kami-sama, I don't know where you are, but I'm so going to prank you for this mess!" he shouted up to the heavens. Now he finally knew what she meant by small changes; there were two of him in the world! His slumped forward as he let that information sink in, "Can this get any worse?"

**"****Well there is some good news…" **Kurama said, gaining his container's attention, **"If I'm reading the chakra signatures right…" **a chuckle escaped from the fox's snout, making Naruto slightly suspicious and wary. **"He's a she."**

"WHAT!?" Naruto's shout echoed throughout the forest, causing the birds to fly away in fright as the trees ruffled from the force of the shout. "You mean that other me . . . is a girl?"

Naruto felt Kurama mentally nod. **"I'm positive. No questions about it."**

"But that means . . ." Naruto started as a small smile formed on his lips, "She's my sister?" As long as he could remember, he always craved for a family he could call his own, like how the Sandaime became his surrogate grandfather and Jiraiya his Godfather… and now Kurama, the greatest of the Bijū, was now his surrogate brother. But having blood relative meant so much more than that… it meant that he was having a _real _family, and he was certain his counterpart felt the same way too.

**"****In a way, yes otōto, she's your sister, your imōto."** Kurama explained with a wistful sigh, **"Now you have a real family again, that means you don't need me anymore."**

In an instant, Naruto was in his mindscape and he tackled the great fox in a hug, but his enormous size meant that Naruto was only able to hug one of his giant paws, but it was still the same to him. "Don't you ever say that! You're family now, and nothing's going to change that!" Kurama looked down at Naruto, seeing the tears welling up in the young blonde's eyes, and he immediately felt guilt. "Please… nii-san; don't say anything like that anymore… I lost my friends once; I don't want to lose you too…"

Kurama sighed as he nodded. **"I'm sorry Naruto; I promise I won't leave you ever again…"**

"You know you've mellowed out a lot more since becoming my nii-san,"

**"****Don't get too comfortable gaki, I'm not that mellow yet!"** Kurama stated with a barking laugh, and Naruto just smiled, same old Kurama. **"Now you better get going otōto, I think there's someone coming."** And with that, Naruto was pulled out of his mindscape and into the real world; he noticed that he had been walking for a long time while talking to Kurama, as he was nearing the edge of the forest, and soon was in a clearing of some sorts. A strong sense of nostalgia hit him as he gazed at the training grounds… training ground seven to be precise. This was where Team Seven was initially formed and trained, and this was also the area where they took their bell test and also the Chūnin Exams.

A sudden sound of footsteps made Naruto tense up as he pulled out a kunai from his pants pocket, where only a few kunai and shuriken were stored. He made a mental note to himself to stock up on basic supplies and shop for new clothing. The t-shirt and khaki pants aren't going to cut it. Years of battle experience and the constant warfare made him act on reflex as he readied for whoever's coming into the forest, and he unconsciously channeled chakra into his kunai, and had unknowingly formed a seal of some sort on the hilt of the kunai… He expected to see an ugly White Zetsu or an enemy missing-nin jumping out of the forest to attack him, but instead he was greeted by the sight of a cute young girl with the same shade of golden blonde hair as his own.

"Finally, I'm a kunoichi now!" the young girl said enthusiastically, "Now I'm going to show the world that I can be the Hokage, even if I am a girl! Dattebane!"

Naruto dropped his kunai in shock and awe. The newcomer was a girl of average height and of same age as him. Her long flowing golden blonde hair was tied into twin pigtails and she had purple eyes that shone with innocence and determination. Refocusing his vision, he took notice of the girl's features, and he had to admit she was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever met in his life, and the whisker-like birthmarks which at one time they both shared made her look exotic and cute. Her face was quite angelic, and the outfit she wore which was a form fitting black and orange t-shirt with whirlpool designs and knee-length pants which expressed her great figure, which was well-developed for her age. And judging by her large chakra reserves, this was his counterpart…

The girl finally took notice that she was not alone and turned to face him, a slight flush on her cheeks, "Huh? Who are you and why are you doing here?" It was already embarrassing enough for her to shout out her verbal tic, but to let someone else hear it was even more so.

Naruto coughed a bit before speaking, "I'm new to this village, I just came here today." He lied smoothly. He had already thought of a backstory on the fly while walking to the village… and this was a good time as any to use it. "I stumbled upon this training ground while walking around the village, but I didn't know this was a shinobi-only area. Sorry."

The girl's eyes narrowed in suspicion, and Naruto tensed ever so slightly. That was the look his mother Uzumaki Kushina would give when she was serious or that she didn't trusted something someone said. Naruto mentally praised his counterpart for her sharp intuition…

"This is one of the Hokage's Private Training Grounds. You shouldn't have been able to sneak in without the ANBU apprehending you." The girl said, and Naruto sighed in defeat. She was right as most normal civilians would've been apprehended by the ANBU by now. He had no choice but to be truthful with her now.

"Sorry about that," Naruto said with a bow, "I'm meant no disrespect, as I lied to you from the start." He became serious as his intense azure orbs locked onto the girl's purple ones, "But I assure you, I mean no harm to you or the village. This I can promise you."

"How can I be sure of that?" she asked again, her tone held hostility in it, and he noticed she was fingering her weapons pouch, "For all I know, you could be a foreign shinobi sent here to kill me or the Hokage or spy on the village."

Naruto smiled a little when she said that, silently praising her again for her intuition. "How do you know I'm a shinobi?"

The girl pointed at the fallen kunai. "That kunai was my clue, and I'm an accomplished sensor, and I sense that your chakra coils are highly developed, meaning you had shinobi training." She explained casually. Naruto then realized something… she was far more intelligent and mature than he was at her age. He was currently a seventeen year old with a mentality of a thirty year old in the body of a thirteen year old, so he could explain his ways… but the girl in front of him… she was a true kunoichi. That thought alone made Naruto _very_ proud of his counterpart…

"Very perceptive… truly one worthy of her hitai-ate…" he complimented, making the girl's eyes widen in surprise, "Yes it's true, but I assure you," he knelt down and picked up the kunai, making the girl tense up, "I mean no harm. After all, my family's in this village, so I couldn't and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize its safety," He said with conviction. He held the kunai to his palm, "And if it calms your thoughts…" he sliced it open, letting the blood drip from his palm, and onto the ground. "I swear, on my blood and my life, that I would never bring harm to your village." Already, Kurama was already healing him up as the cut was all but gone in a few moments.

The girl stared at the boy in shock. "Okay… I'm convinced." Her posture relaxed as she moved her hand away from her weapon's pouch. "What are you really here for, stranger-kun?" she asked with a cute smile.

Naruto smiled back, "I wanted to meet the Hokage, if it's alright with you."

The girl nodded. "Alright, but no funny business or the Jōnins will have your head."

"Noted," Naruto replied as he extended a hand, "Name's Naruto, just Naruto." After some careful consideration with Kurama, he decided to not use his first name just yet, not after he had cleared it up with the Sandaime.

The girl looked stunned for a moment, spluttering slightly before composing herself and shook the extended hand, "Uzumaki Naruko, Genin of Konohagakure, and future and first female Hokage!" she said with a smile.

Naruto's eyes widened a bit in shock. "Wow." was all he said, which basically summed up all his thoughts.

"Wow is right," Naruko stated with a giggle, "Come on, I'll take you to the Hokage Mansion!"

Naruto just nodded as he followed the eager girl, "Alright then, lead the way!"

* * *

**The End!**

**How do you like the first chapter? Good? Bad?**

**Let me know in the reviews! REVIEWS ARE LOVE. **

**HEIROFROHAN signing off**

**PEACE!**


	2. Truth

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Two: Truth**

* * *

"So," began Naruko as she walked backwards while facing Naruto, "Where exactly are you from, Naruto-san?"

Following at a slightly sedate pace, Naruto just shrugged. "I've told you, I'll explain everything once we meet Hokage-sama. It's not something I can freely tell to anyone. I'm sorry."

Naruko pouted, earning a chuckle from the male blonde. "Fine, but you owe me!"

Naruto chuckled. "Hai, hai…"

The two of them were currently walking through the village of Konoha towards the Hokage Mansion, which was located just under the Hokage Monument at the back of the village. Naruto was hit yet again by a sense of nostalgia as he gazed upon the great stone faces of the previous Hokages, elegantly carved into the mountain. He maintained his gaze at the face furthest to the right, where Namikaze Minato's monument stood. He silently prayed for his father and mother, and renewed his vow to defeat Kaguya once and for all.

It was about noon, and the village was as lively as Naruto could remember, and it made him quite happy. Hawkers and shopkeepers were busy selling their goods; children were all playing tag and 'ninja', while the adults were milling about their daily routines. The peaceful and lively atmosphere reminded Naruto about why do shinobi fight… and why he would do anything to protect them. If he can…

**"****Don't worry otōto," **Kurama said from within him, **"You'll definitely save them this time… you have me remember?"**

_'__Thanks for the vote of confidence you cocky Kitsune'_ Naruto mentally replied with a smile, earning a howl of laughter from his tenant.

**"****Besides, you also have your counterpart as well, and by Kami, she's one pretty little lady!"** Kurama commented with a wolfish whistle, **"She's smart, mature and very much kunoichi material, definitely unlike you when you were her age. Maybe you should go for her kit! She's definitely a good mating material!" **He continued with a chuckle.

Although many wouldn't notice it, Naruto actually had a small blush on his face as he mentally frowned. _'Shut up, nii-san, just stop it… she's my sister god damn it!'_ And much to his chagrin, Kurama only laughed louder.

As Naruto looked around while trying fight down his blush and tune out the slightly perverted Bijū's comments, he noticed that the villagers who saw Naruko… weren't glaring at her or ignoring her as he would normally expect. In fact, they were actually _greeting _and _waving _at her, and the bubbly girl just waved back with a huge smile. They were acknowledging her!

The very thing he fought for all his life, and he only got the recognition when he saved the village from Nagato's Six Paths of Pain, sixteen years later…

Naruto then felt a sense of envy well up inside him at his counterpart's treatment… how he wished the villagers back in his time would acknowledge him this early in his life, the he wouldn't have to put up with the constant glares and harsh treatment from the villagers. He wouldn't have been alone, unwanted…

Suddenly, a wave of soothing energy washed over him, and he noticed that Kurama was flooding his chakra coils with the calming effects of his Yang chakra, and Naruto sighed in relaxation. _'Thanks nii-san… I needed that.'_

**"****Don't mention it, and I think your crush is worried about you~"** Kurama sang out at the end, making Naruto frown mentally.

_'__I don't have a-'_ he never finished the mental statement, because at that moment, his vision was blocked out by the cute face of Naruko, her face showing concern for the blonde male. He also noticed the close proximity between their faces, and he immediately blushed. _'Damn these teenage hormones…'_ It also didn't help when his tenant was teasing him all the while.

"Naruto-san, are you alright?" Naruko asked with concern, "Your face looked sad all of a sudden."

Naruto shook his head and sighed as he smiled sadly at her. "You noticed huh?" he chuckled dryly. The way he chuckled reminded Naruko of someone truly sad and lonely… like how she had been when she was younger, and couldn't help but find it similar, "I'm an orphan you know, my parents died protecting my home village from a walking natural disaster."

Ignoring the indignant snort from a certain fox, he continued, "Ever since then, the villagers had always hated it, as they lost loved ones during the disaster, and they needed a scapegoat to vent out their sadness and anger. They found it in me…"

Naruko's eyes widened in shock as she immediately related the male blonde's plight with her own, many years ago.

"The villagers always hated me, glared at me, ignored me, even going so far as overcharging spoilt goods and beating me up on my birthdays, as it's the same date as when the natural disaster struck. I only gained their trust and admiration after I risked my life protecting it by offering myself up in a ritual to save the village so that they would be safe… thankfully, I survived."

The whole backstory of his was him thinking on the fly, but the emotions in them were real and genuine. He only twisted the tale of his mom and dad's to better suit his own version, but the emotions in them held true.

Naruto didn't even know he was crying until something wet slid down his face, and he reached up to wipe them away. He honestly couldn't believe how a story he made up on the fly could get him to cry, but he got the message across at least. He looked up to see that Naruko had stopped walking, and was crying tears of her own. He smiled a little in happiness. Someone was crying for him… even if it was for his plight.

"I-I'm sorry…" she started, voice uneven and watery due to the crying, "I-I shouldn't h-have brought it up. I'm sorry!"

Naruto shook his head with a kind smile. "Don't worry. It's not your fault; the lively atmosphere here reminded me of what I could've had… and what I can have."

"But still," Naruko sniffed, "I-I was the one who opened old wounds. Please forgive my insensitivity!" She said and bowed, tears still falling from her eyes. She felt horrible at opening a wound that couldn't easily be healed. She felt so useless and insensitive at her actions, and was hoping the blonde male could forgive her. She was horribly snapped out of her pessimistic thoughts when she was embraced in a hug, from Naruto no less!

"Don't blame yourself. You crying for me means that you do care about other people, and I'm grateful for it," Naruto said, as he hugged the girl tighter, causing her to blush slightly. "Thank you for your concern… it's refreshing really, since not many people showed me kindness out of the _goodness of their hearts_." He said the last part with as much sarcasm as possible, making the girl in his arms giggle.

Naruko pulled away from the hug, blush still on her cheeks. "Thank you." She whispered.

"You're welcome," Naruto said, before he smirked, "You know… I kind of like your hugs, it's all warm and cuddly, like hugging a teddy bear!"

Naruko's blush flared as she pouted indignantly at the accusation, "I-I'm not a teddy bear! I'm a kunoichi!"

Naruto laughed harder as she continued to pout, "I know, I know, I'm just teasing you. Now shall we get going?"

Finally having her blush under control, she nodded and smiled warmly. "Sure. Let's go!" she said, and they both continued on their way towards the Hokage Mansion, with Naruko greeting the villagers and shinobi alike along the way, while Naruto just smiled warmly at his counterpart.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure, was not having a good day. First, last night he found out one of the Academy Chūnin instructors, a man named Tōji Mizuki, had deliberately sabotaged the Genin Exams of one of the top students of the gradating year out of spite for the Kyūbi, and then tricked the said Academy student into stealing the Scroll of Forbidden Seals which was kept under heavy guard by the ANBU and Hokage in the safest vault in the Hokage Mansion, which the student did successfully and managed to get away with it!

The elderly Hokage was currently siting behind his desk, puffing on his stovepipe while reminiscing about last night's events. He lowered his Hokage's hat in embarrassment when he thought back on the way one Uzumaki Naruko did to get the scroll from him, even though she was caught red-handed by him during the act.

Hiruzen lowered his hat further in shame. _'To think, me of all people, the Kami no Shinobi (God of Shinobi), would be defeated by such an absurd jutsu…' _he sighed as he thought about the infamous **Oiroke no Jutsu (Sexy Jutsu)** used by the girl, which caused him to pass out from blood loss, _'If word got out about this, my reputation and the village's would be inconceivably ruined… I think I might have to label that jutsu a kinjutsu, just in case…'_ He was snapped out of his reverie when the double burgundy doors into his office opened to reveal a middle-aged woman in her thirties with brown hair and dark eyes walk in.

She bowed respectfully. "Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen nodded with a grandfatherly smile. "Ah yes, Hikari-chan, what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?"

The newly named Hikari just rolled her eyes at her leader's antics as Hiruzen chuckled, "Genin Uzumaki Naruko would like to speak with you. I believe she is bringing a guest."

The Hokage raised a surprised eyebrow at that information. "Really now?" he asked, wondering who might the guest be, "Send them in."

"Hai Hokage-sama." and Hikari left, and soon a familiar figure emerged from the doorway, which immediately ran squealing towards him like a cannonball. No one had yet noticed a second figure that silently slipped through the door, and quietly pushed it closed.

"Jiji!" the blonde bundle squealed like the innocent little girl she was supposed to be, and Hiruzen couldn't help but laugh heartily. Over the years he had come to love the girl as one of his own, and he was overjoyed indeed when the villagers finally decided to let go of their old hatreds and welcome her with opened arms, despite the beast within her.

"Why, hello there Naruko-chan!" the Hokage said happily, "How are you today?"

Naruko, who was still sitting on the elder man's lap, smiled brightly up at her surrogate grandfather, "I'm fine Jiji! I'm finally getting my shinobi pass today!"

Hiruzen laughed again, "Good for you Naruko-chan! You're one step closer to achieving your dream!"

Naruko giggled as she pumped her fists. "Of course I am! Dattebane!" She immediately covered her mouth in embarrassment as a blush formed on her face, whilst Hiruzen chuckled.

It was at that moment he took notice of a second presence in the room, and the wizened Hokage turned his attention towards the other occupant of the room. Before he could even speak, his jaw dropped slightly at the sight of the young man in front of him, his stovepipe dropping on the floor as he did. Naruko tilted her head in confusion at the Hokage's actions, and she turned to look at her new friend for answers, who just stood there with a kind smile.

"M-Minato?" Hiruzen couldn't believe it, he swore that the boy in front of him was an exact replica of his predecessor when he was younger, and he couldn't help but raise his hopes slightly at the thought of him being alive again.

To his slight dismay, the blonde boy merely shook his head with a warm smile. "No. I am not the Yondaime Hokage."

Seeing where the conversation was going, the Sandaime turned to his surrogate granddaughter, "Naruko-chan, you better go get your pass made. Your friend and I are going to have a little _chat_."

Naruko stared at him confused as her mind was putting together the pieces of Naruto's appearance to that of the Yondaime Hokage, her idol. She nodded nonetheless as she made her way out the room, her mind pondering the possibility of Naruto being the Yondaime's son or relative.

Sparing one last worried glance at her new friend, who just gave her a reassuring smile, she made her way to the roof, where the passes were being made. In the back of her mind though, she silently hoped that Naruto somehow, by some miracle, would be her long-lost relative, as judging by their facial structures and blonde hair they were both in some ways similar.

But she knew it was a fleeting pipedream . . . or is it?

As soon as the doors closed, Hiruzen immediately stood up. "ANBU, leave us."

Silently, four invisible ANBU vanished from the room, and Hiruzen put up a privacy seal around the room. Once done, he stared down at the blonde boy in front of him, his aura and chakra flaring as Killing Intent filled the room. "Depending on how you answer my questions, I will decide whether you live or die, is that understood?" to his surprise, the blonde didn't even flinch as he nodded back, expression serious. "First of all, who are you?"

Naruto stared back at him with equal intensity.

"Depends on who's asking."

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes as his Killing Intent flared to new heights. "The one asking is a man who can wipe you off the face of the Earth if you answer wrongly or snidely." He clarified as he sat down, "Now, I'll ask again; who are you?"

Naruto sighed as he smiled a little as his respect for the Sandaime went up a notch. No wonder he was called the Kami no Shinobi, his aura and Killing Intent would floor even experienced Jōnin and knock out inexperienced Chūnin and Genin. But, Naruto reminded himself, he was far from an average shinobi.

Noticing the smile, Hiruzen frowned as he readied for anything. "Why are you smiling?"

Naruto chuckled. "Very impressive Jiji," He said, making Hiruzen even angrier than before, before the blonde's next words shocked him. "You haven't changed a bit!" the blonde cheerfully said.

Hiruzen was stunned. No one should have been able to withstand that much Killing Intent and not faint or be floored by it, much less a thirteen year old boy. To be able to withstand that kind of power and still be able to remain cheerful and carefree… the boy's mental prowess must be astonishing!

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes in confusion, "What are you talking about? I've never met you before, much less talked to you."

Naruto chuckled as he smiled warmly. "That's because I was raised by another version of you, in another dimension, until I was thirteen."

"Stop spewing such nonsense!" Hiruzen shouted, slamming his hands on his desk, cracking it. "How can anyone possibly believe that you came from another dimension, even if it was true then what proof do you have?!" he said. He had heard a lot of crazy things in his long life, but this one took the cake. Another dimension? And from what he heard from the boy, who couldn't be more than thirteen, time travel? This situation was getting really troublesome; really fast . . . elsewhere a certain pineapple haired man sneezed.

To his unending surprise, the blonde just shook his head. "I don't just have proof, I have a_ many _proofs." He pulled out the kunai he used earlier in the training grounds, and placed it on the Hokage's desk.

After the little meet up with Naruko back at the field, Naruto noticed some residue chakra on the hilt of the blade, and when he examined it he found a seal of some sort engraved on it with chakra. He also noticed when he stretched out his senses; this seal appears to his senses as some sort of gateway in which he can open at a whim, and when he tried opening it when no one's looking – including Naruko – he had appeared at where the kunai and the seal had been almost instantly!

After consulting with Kurama and a bit of probing through his father's memories, they concluded that since his father's memories, including muscle memory, had been assimilated by him, it can only mean one thing: Naruto had unknowingly mastered the infamous **Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique). **

It irked him at first for mastering such a powerful technique through such a cheap way as a _memory transfer_, he was encouraged by Kurama to further improve upon it and find more ways to apply it on the battlefield, which got his hopes up on not copying his father's jutsu without hard work.

Hiruzen looked at the ordinarily looking kunai and raised an eyebrow. "What does this have to do with you coming from another dimension?"

Naruto shook his head in amusement. "Trying holding it and see what you can find." He offered, while discretely forming another Hiraishin Jutsu Shiki through the soles of his feet. This was one way he tried to improve upon the Hiraishin, by placing jutsu shikis through his feet. It requires perfect chakra control and it was impractical with his current mastery to be used effectively during battle, but perfect for a demonstration of his abilities.

The elderly Hokage tried to sense any ill-intent coming from the blonde. When finding none, he picked up the kunai and started to examine it. While to any normal observer, it would appear as any other regular kunai, but Hiruzen wasn't called _'the Professor'_ for nothing, as he sensed a trickle of chakra in the hilt of the blade and when he examined it, he noticed a seal engraved on it.

Upon closer inspection, Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock and realization and was about to say something when he felt a shift in the air in front of him, and his eyes caught sight of something yellow, and then a split second later the kunai in his hands was gone. He looked up to see Naruto standing there, casually spinning the kunai with his fingers through the ring at the hilt, a smile on his face. The old leader didn't even have the chance to react!

Hiruzen staggered back in his seat slightly as he took in a shaky breath, not believing what he was seeing. "T-That was the…" he trailed off at the end, and he saw Naruto nod in affirmation.

"You thought right Jiji, that's was the Yondaime's prized jutsu, the Hiraishin." Naruto said, and he put away the kunai into his pocket, "I guess that answers your questions about my abilities?"

Hiruzen just nodded numbly, eyes and mind still not comprehending the things he they had seen and processed. But no matter how he saw it, it will always be the same – the boy, a young thirteen year old, had just performed an S-Rank Ninjutsu known to many and used only by one. But still, even if the boy proved that he could perform a jutsu that could destroy an entire army in under a minute… that still didn't automatically mean that he was from another dimension.

Hiruzen composed himself from the shock of seeing a legendary jutsu performed by a young boy, "While that was _very_ impressive indeed my young friend, that still doesn't automatically prove you're from another dimension." He explained skeptically.

Naruto nodded in understanding, "I figured you would say that, that's why I brought a second proof: my heritage." He said, becoming serious, "My birth name is Namikaze Naruto," the Hokage's eyes widened even further after that declaration, and his mind was going a mile a minute, "but in order to protect me from my father's enemies, my dimension's you, the Sandaime Hokage, placed my name as Uzumaki Naruto, taking my mother's maiden name. I am also the Jinchuriki of the Kyūbi no Kitsune, the strongest of the Bijū. You also passed a law that states that whoever brought up the Kyūbi incident and that the Jinchuriki of the Kyūbi was me, you'll have them executed for treason."

Hiruzen slumped further in his seat, mind racing furiously as the facts listed by the boy was irrefutable, "And judging by your reaction, I'm guessing Naruko was treated the same way? But from what I saw, she's living a happy life."

Hiruzen just nodded as a small smile graced his old features. "Yes, she is. The villagers have finally let go of their old hatreds and welcomed her with open arms. That was not the case several years ago when animosity towards the Kyūbi was still high," the old man chuckled, "It was because of her determination and goodwill to others that many had finally began to see her as a kind, innocent girl who wants nothing more than your acknowledgement and friendship…" Naruto briefly wondered if that could happen to him, when he was younger, but he just shrugged it off. No point living in the past. "I think I don't need any more proof than that…"

Naruto nodded. "If you want, I can get a blood test from the hospital if you still want confirmation."

"No need. From what I can tell the Hiraishin can only be used by Minato alone or one of his blood relatives, so that was all the proof I need." Hiruzen stated, and he physically relaxed, drained physically and mentally from the events during the past few minutes. "I'm getting too old for this shit…"

"Well I'll be damned — Sarutobi Hiruzen finally admitted he's old!" Naruto said with a laugh.

Hiruzen, despite the weariness, laughed along, albeit wearily. "You're just like Naruko-chan, always the troublemaker." He commented, earning him a cheeky grin from the blonde, which slowly turned into a sad smile. "Naruto?"

Suddenly, he was tackled by the young boy in a hug, and the old Kage slowly hugged him back. Despite meeting with Naruto only a few minutes ago, he already felt a sense of familiarity with the blonde, like how he felt with Naruko. Hiruzen smiled sadly as he felt the young boy tremble and shake in his hold, holding the old man in a strong grip, as if the boy was afraid he would disappear if he did.

Naruto sniffed as tears fell from his eyes. "I missed you Jiji…"

Hiruzen just smiled sadly, "I know…" Despite not knowing his counterpart, he could safely tell that he and Naruto had grown very close, much like how Hiruzen himself and Naruko were now. Even now, he already considered the boy as one of his own grandchildren, even if he had known him for only a few minutes.

A sudden thought broke Hiruzen out of his stupor as he spoke, "Naruto," the boy pulled back from the hug, "what do you mean by 'until you were thirteen'? Did something happen to me after you were thirteen?"

At his question, Naruto's mood became sorrowful and sad, and it broke the old Kage's heart. "I see," Hiruzen said, knowing full well what that expression meant. "Who did it?"

Naruto grimaced slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Hiruzen gripped Naruto's shoulders tightly, forcing the boy to look up at him. "Who killed me, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto paused as he contemplated for second. If he told the Sandaime now about the events of the future, he could possibly tip off Black Zetsu and lose his Ace against Kaguya. But if he told only a select few of his plans, then it would be easier to control that information. But it would have to be a person that has his absolute trust — the Sandaime was one of those people.

"Alright Jiji," Naruto started, voice dead serious, "What I'm about to tell you must _never_ leave this room. Period." At this, Hiruzen's eyes widened before nodding seriously, "This information could jeopardize the future of the Elemental Nations, and can only be told to a select few. Do you understand, Jiji?"

Hiruzen smiled. "Of course Naruto-kun,"

"Well if you break our pact I could just kill you." Naruto joked.

"You really believe that merely with the Hiraishin, you could take me on and kill me?" Hiruzen joked back with a challenging grin, which was mirrored by the young blonde moments later.

"You underestimate me Jiji… I didn't become a shinobi without my _'particular set'_ of skills you know."

Hiruzen chuckled as he leaned forward. "And what would that be?" in truth, he was curious about the blonde boy's abilities, as the Hiraishin alone already made him at low-Jōnin level.

A true prodigy indeed.

Naruto casually listed off his skills with his fingers. "One, I'm a Sage. Two, I have full cooperation of my tenant, Mister Kyūbi. Three, I know a few hundred C-Rank and B-Rank jutsus, offense and defense. Four, I'm immune to Genjutsu thanks to my tenant. And Five, I'm just plain awesome!" Throughout the explanation, Hiruzen's jaw dropped gradually as each of the skills was listed, and Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. Of course there was also the Rikudō Sennin Mōdo, but he needn't mention that.

Hiruzen shook his head in amusement and awe. "With those skills alone… you're basically a Kage-level shinobi in your own right! You're still a Jinchuriki?" Naruto nodded as he channeled chakra to his stomach, revealing the **Hakke no Fūin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Seal)**. Hiruzen chuckled, "I think I may just retire and give you my hat," he said with a laugh, "But that last point I beg to differ… Naruko-chan claims that she's more awesome than anyone else."

"Wanna bet?"

"Oh hell no, if your luck is just like Naruko's, I'll be broke by the end of the day!"

Naruto literally laughed out loud at that.

"You know it!"

After that, Naruto proceeded to explain his life and the events that took place in extreme detail, right up until the Fourth Shinobi World War. After a lengthy, twenty minute discussion, Naruto finally sat back down and took a deep gulp of water to soothe his aching throat. The old Kage just sat behind his desk, letting the information sink in and be processed, and his expression was blank and unreadable. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Hiruzen finally spoke up, breaking it.

"So . . . the Progenitor of Chakra herself was responsible." The powerful Kage muttered, his expression grim. "Never in my long years as a shinobi had I heard such a ridiculous story… but coming from you… I would very much believe it like I was actually there." The man chuckled as he rubbed his temples, "This is a lot to take in — who knew that world's coming to an end in just a few years?"

"I know, Jiji. Take your time." Naruto said with a smile. After all, it's not every day you were told about your death at the hands of your former student and the end of the world by a mere teenager. "Promise you won't do anything rash . . . I'll take care of it."

Hiruzen nodded as he stood up a gazed down at his beloved village. There, he saw citizens and shinobi milling about their daily lives. To think that this peaceful atmosphere would be shattered in the next few years was unimaginable . . . but it's the truth, and the war's coming. They needed to prepare.

"I promise Naruto-kun. I won't do anything without consulting you first." the man said as he turned to face the young blonde, "Actually, I have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?" Naruto asked eagerly. Back in his time, the only times the Hokage asks a favor of him was always the most rewarding of them all, like free ramen or a field trip with the Hokage to the Monument to watch the sunset. It was both memorable and delighting, and Naruto missed those times with his first precious person.

Hiruzen walked to his desk and opened a drawer, and he fished out some papers and began to write something down. After finishing, he handed them to Naruto, "Give this to one of the Academy instructors. They'll give you a test and proceed to make you a Genin. And when you have the time, come find me where we can test your true skills," The old man explained, and Naruto nodded with a smile. He was getting his rank back. "And also this . . ." the Hokage handed a second paper to him, and the young blonde's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets when he read them. These were Konoha's official adoption papers, and it listed him as one of the guardians.

The Hokage chuckled at the boy's reaction, who just stared back at him in disbelief. "Yes Naruto-kun, I'm asking you to officially adopt Naruko-chan as your younger sister."

Naruto slowly looked up at him, eyes pleading with emotion and uncertainty. "B-But . . . am I ready for this?" the boy asked, suddenly unsure of himself, and Hiruzen had never seen the confident and strong young boy this vulnerable ever since he met him. "All I really wanted was a family to call my own… but what if I can't protect her like how I can't protect my people back home? What if—?"

"Naruto!" the Hokage shouted, making Naruto flinch slightly, and Hiruzen sighed. "If you keep on doubting yourself again, you'll never be able to move on with your life ever again…" A brief memory of a blonde woman with brown eyes and wearing a green jacket suddenly flashed through his eyes, and Hiruzen let out a sad sigh, "Ask yourself not 'what if', ask yourself 'what is'. What is going to happen if you back down? What is going to happen if you don't move on and be stronger than you were yesterday? How can you protect those close to you if you can't save you… from yourself?"

The Hokage's words struck a chord deep within Naruto's consciousness, and he mentally berated himself for forsaking his own nindō, his shinobi way. 'Never give up, never back down, keep striving and enduring.' That's the basis for his very way of life. Shaking his head to clear them of negative thoughts, Naruto took a deep breath and sighed. He looked up at the Hokage who was looking at him in concern, "Thank you Jiji. You really are the wisest Kage in the Elemental Nations."

Hiruzen chuckled as he knelt in front of him. "You're wiser than you think Naruto, so don't worry about it too much." The old man stated, and he smiled as he stood up, "I expect you to be well-behaved when she becomes your sister." Naruto nodded seriously as he held the quill, ready to sign his name onto the contract, "I don't want to be a great-grandfather so soon, so take it slow."

Naruto immediately spluttered as his face became tomato red as he glared at the old man. "W-What the hell Sarutobi, how can you even suggest that?!"

"Well, I maybe old but I'm certainly not senile," Hiruzen replied with a grin, "I've seen how you two act — don't tell me a growing boy like you hadn't even taken a slight interest with such a beautiful girl like Naruko-chan?"

"W-Well, m-maybe a little…" Naruto stammered with a mock glare, inside his mind a certain fox was laughing up a storm, much to his chagrin. "But that's not the point here. Don't push it or I'll burn your Icha Icha Collection!"

Hiruzen paled slightly, before a grin replaced it.

"As Hokage, I can ban the sale of ramen in and out of the village for the rest of the year."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Only if you stay away from my collection."

The two of them stared intently into each other's eyes, neither of them flinching as they held their gaze. The staring contest continued, and one could see sparks flying between them. A tense silence followed, before both of them suddenly broke out in laughter.

Naruto laughed as he wiped the tears from his eyes, "Alright, alright you win Jiji…"

The wizened Kage chuckled as he smiled. "I always to do that with Naruko-chan, and she always gives in just as easily as you did when I threatened to take away her ramen."

Naruto just grinned. "I was going easy on you old man, wouldn't want you bursting a vein or something." He said with a chuckle. Naruto signed the contract and handed it back to Hiruzen, who scanned it over one final time before nodding.

"Okay. We're done. Naruko-chan is now officially your sister… if I can break it to her that is." He stated with a small smile, "I trust you tell her about her own heritage?"

"Hai Jiji," Naruto said seriously, "I'll tell her when she's ready."

"I'm sure she'll surprise you Naruto-kun, she's not unpredictable for nothing you know. And judging by the way she looked at you when she walked out the door…" the powerful man chuckled at the blonde male's blush, "I think she'll accept the arrangement just fine."

The Sandaime then did a few hand signs and the privacy seal was dropped. "Only a few minutes has passed in the real world, so Naruko-chan should be back right about… now."

And sure enough the burgundy doors burst open to reveal the young girl with a happy smile on her face. "Hey Jiji, I'm back!" Naruko shouted before she noticed her friend in the room. "Hey Naruto-kun! So how did your talk with Jiji go?"

Naruto nodded with a kind smile. "It's all good. Hokage-sama allowed me to join the shinobi corps if I pass a certain test."

The excited girl was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet at the news, "That's great! That means you get to come with us on missions!" she said excitedly, causing the two other occupants of the room to chuckle at her innocence, which unknown to Naruto, the side which she only displayed to her closest people.

She then noticed a paper in Naruto's hands, and she decided to ask, "What's that you're holding Naruto-kun?"

Naruto looked down at the object in question and grinned as he handed it to her, which she took and started to read. "Why don't you take a look for yourself?" he offered as he waited for the girl to finish.

Naruko started to read out loud as she scanned the paper. "I, as Hokage of Konoha, declare that one Uzumaki Naruko would officially be… a-adopted," she stumbled over the words, not believing what she was reading, and she continued despite the growing feeling of hope in her heart, "and be put under the care of one… U-Uzumaki N-Naruto?"

Her eyes widened exponentially as she looked up at her friend-turned-family member, tears slowly welling in her eyes as she dropped the paper she was reading, her hands covering her mouth as she couldn't believe what was happening to her right now. Her silent plea for Naruto to miraculously be her family member had finally come true, and she was overwhelmed with emotion.

Naruto stepped forward and placed a hand on one of her shoulders, making her watery eyes look up at him and into his beautiful azure orbs. There she saw compassion, understanding and… love, unconditional love for her and the silent message that he would never leave her alone again, no matter how impossible it may seem. She thanked whoever that was above for letting her stumble upon Naruto in the first place, and for that she was forever grateful.

She sniffed as she looked up at Naruto, eyes watery and puffy. "O-Onii-chan…"

The blonde boy just smiled even wider when he heard the words he wanted to hear for a very long time. "Yes imōto, I am your onii-chan. From now on and forever…" He said.

Naruko just cried even harder. "O-Onii-chan…" She couldn't take it any longer as she tackled her new brother in a bone-crushing hug, making both of them fall unceremoniously to the floor. "Onii-chan!" she cried out in happiness, and Naruto just hugged her back tighter as he laughed.

Hiruzen just looked on with a warm smile on his face. He knew that the appearance of Naruto would forever change the life of Naruko, and looked forward to the future. '_This is the start of something . . . truly beautiful.'_

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

**THE END**

**Phew, now that's done and out of the way. How do you like it so far? Good? Bad? Boring? Anything, just review the story. **

**Note: rewritten as of December 10****th****, 2015.**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE. **

**HEIROFROHAN signing off**

**PEACE!**


	3. Settling In

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Three: Settling in**

* * *

Naruto was currently walking through the village in the afternoon heat from the Hokage's office towards his destination, which was right beside the Hokage Mansion. Another wave of nostalgia assaulted him when he reminisced about the place where he began his shinobi career. The instructors, his friends, the third years, the first years… it really brought back many memorable memories.

He remembered when he used to prank the Academy instructors almost every day and always get detention because of it. Thinking back, his pranking skills really helped him in trap setting and stealth, as most of his pranks weren't detected until the last minute . . .

He was broken out of his stupor when he arrived at the destination, which was the Academy Building. He would've gone in already, but he was currently losing circulation in his right arm…

"Ano, Naruko-chan," Naruto said while poking the girls head, trying to pry her off his poorly circulated arm, "Can you… you know, let go of my arm now? I can't feel my hands…"

Ever since she had officially become his sister, Naruko had been stuck to him like glue on paper, refusing to let go of him for fear he would run off or disappear if she let go. Right now she was clinging to his right arm like a vice, blocking the blood in them.

Naruko looked up at him with a pout. "Do I have to onii-chan?" she asked innocently, which of course it wasn't as innocent as it sounded if Naruto's emotion sensing was accurate. She was doing this on purpose just to get a rise out of him, since he's her new onii-chan she would want to have a little fun with her new brother.

"Yes, if not I can't write and I'll fail my test and I won't become a shinobi and I won't be able to bring you to Ichiraku's anymore…" Naruto deadpanned, and he smirked when he saw the girl's face grow paler by the minute and she finally let his arm free. Groaning at getting feeling back into his arm again, he looked at Naruko who looked sheepish and embarrassed. "Don't worry Naruko-chan; it's not your fault. You just couldn't control yourself that's all…"

Naruko blushed as she placed her hands at her back, looking as innocent as possible. "It's the first time I have an older brother… of course I can't control myself…" she then smiled brightly up at him, "But that's the fun part about it, wouldn't you say?"

Naruto chuckled as he walked in the front door, with Naruko following closely just behind him. "Hai, hai… whatever you say _Naruko-hime_." He smirked at the tomato red blush on her face as he made his way through one of the corridors before stopping outside a door that read "Chūnin Office".

"This must be it," Naruto said as he opened the door, and the first thing he saw was a yellow blur that rushed into the room and the next thing he knew he saw what appeared to be his sister glomping on a poor Chūnin on the ground. He couldn't help but chuckle at her sister's antics as she was almost the same as he is, hyperactive and unpredictable.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruko shouted, causing Naruto to look up in slight surprise with a smile on his face, "You won't believe the most amazing thing that has happened to me!"

The newly named Umino Iruka chuckled as he tried to pry his ex-student off him. "Alright, hold your horses' young lady," he said, causing the girl to pout, "Let me guess… you've got a month's worth of ramen coupons?"

Naruko pouted harder as she shook her head. "No! Even better!" she got off him and headed straight for Naruto, pulling him by his arm towards the scarred Chūnin, "I have an older brother!" Iruka's eyes widened tenfold when he heard that, and he immediately began looking over the supposed older brother of his favorite student. The young blonde man had a smile on his face as he rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish. After a minute's silence, Iruka spoke up.

"I trust that you didn't do anything inappropriate to my student?" he asked, causing both blondes to blush, Naruko's deeper than the other blonde's.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruko shouted.

Naruto chuckled as he composed himself. "Don't worry imōto-chan, he's just messing with you. Plus, if you were in his shoes, what would you do?" he asked, and Iruka gave him an appraising look. It had been a long time since Naruto had seen his favorite Academy instructor again since the event at Turtle Island, and meeting the man again made the young blonde quite happy indeed.

Naruko bowed her head. "Sorry Iruka-sensei." She said, which the Chūnin just waved it off.

"It's fine." He said, "So tell me, what can I do for you today?"

Naruto handed the paper the Hokage gave him to the scarred Chūnin, which he took and began to scan it. "Hokage-sama gave me permission to join the shinobi corps and be placed with the graduating class. You just have to administer a test and we're done." Naruto explained. Truth be told, he had been eager to test his newfound skills and intellect on the Genin Exams, since he failed them thrice already, it wouldn't hurt to pass it without being interfered by outside influence.

Iruka nodded. "Uzumaki Naruto, eh? Okay. Follow me — since I'm free I'll be the one to administer your test." He said as the two of them followed the scarred teacher to one of the Academy grounds, where five target dummies can be seen in the clearing. On the other side of the clearing, there was a table where multiple shuriken and kunai can be seen arranged on top of it. Iruka led Naruto towards the table while Naruko stood aside to watch.

Once there, Iruka nodded towards the targets.

"Alright Naruto, first up is the weapons aptitude test. Hit as many targets with the bull's-eye as you can with only five kunai and five shuriken." Naruto nodded as he picked up the required amount of weapons and held them at the ready, five kunai and five shuriken in each hand, "Ready," Naruto tensed and closed his eyes as he mentally calculated the distance and the wind speed and the weight of his weapons as Naruko watched intently on the sidelines, "Start!"

Without a moment's waste, he launched both weapons at the same time towards their targets. The sounds of whistling weapons can be heard before ten simultaneous thuds were heard downrange. Opening his eyes, Naruto nodded in satisfaction as he had hit all the targets dead center.

He looked back at Iruka who had his jaw on the ground along with his clipboard. Naruko was cheering about how cool he was and how he can easily get 'Rookie of the Year' if he'd joined earlier. Naruto was a humble man, but hearing the praise directed at him from Naruko made him feel accomplished and he was proud of his own abilities.

Iruka finally managed to pick up his clipboard and find his voice, "T-That's a perfect ten out of ten in less than five seconds! Only Uchiha Itachi has ever beaten that record!" the scarred chūnin said in awe, and Naruto nodded with a smile and Naruko was just standing there in awe of her new brother. Who knew that her onii-chan can be such a badass, and be humble and kind at the same time… unlike a certain brooder she knew.

Iruka cleared his throat as Naruto retrieved the weapons, "Alright Naruto, since this is a field exam, there will not be a written portion, so we just have to skip to the three basic jutsus," He explained as Naruto just nodded. It would be easier this way, though he still wanted to try out the written test.

"Alright sensei, hit it," Naruto said.

Iruka nodded, "First up is the **Kawarimi (Replacement)**," he pointed towards a nearby chair, "Replace yourself with that chair over there," The place where Naruto was originally standing was replaced by the chair while Naruto took its place, then he switched back. Nodding in satisfaction, Iruka spoke, "Alright, now for the **Henge (Transformation)**, change into an exact replica of me,"

Naruto nodded and he changed into Iruka, who smiled back at the real one before dispersing, revealing Naruto once more.

"Now last of all, the **Bunshin (Clone)**," Iruka said, but was stopped by Naruto's raised hand, "Yes?"

"Can it be any form of clone?" Naruto asked.

Iruka nodded. "It can as long as it's a clone." He clarified, slightly confused. The **Bunshin** was the easiest jutsu an Academy student can master, with the exception of Naruko with her large reserves, he doesn't see why Naruto should had trouble with it.

Naruto sighed in relief, "Thank Kami, I suck at **Bunshin**!" he said with a laugh, earning a sweatdrop from Iruka and a thumbs up from Naruko, "But I can do this: **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! (Shadow Clone Jutsu)**"

The clearing exploded in a cloud of smoke, and when it dissipated, there standing before Iruka were dozens of Narutos holding a peace sign at him, and his clipboard quickly fell. Naruko was in a similar situation as her eyes widened at her brother's use of her new and favorite technique. How and where did he learn it? It doesn't matter much to Naruko at the moment since her view of her brother shot up to new heights as she cheered for him.

"Way to go Onii-chan!"

All the Narutos turned to her and they all grinned. "Thanks imōto!" they all said at once before dispelling themselves, and the original was left standing in the Academy grounds, a smile on his face.

"O-Okay…" Iruka stuttered as he marked all the points on his clipboard. The boy had just performed a B-rank ninjutsu effortlessly and sporting the same number of clones Naruko made without even feeling winded. '_The younger generation looks promising… I can't wait what they're going to accomplish in the future…'_ he thought with a smile.

"You're officially a Genin, Naruto. The taijutsu test I'll give it to you tomorrow during team placements, so don't be late." Naruto nodded with a smile. "You've scored higher points than our 'Rookie of the Year' Uchiha Sasuke, with Naruko coming in second with 'Kunoichi of the Year'." Iruka said with pride, as he was still in awe of the boy's skill for one so young. He swore he saw the Yondaime in Naruto when he was taking the tests…

Naruto looked at his blushing sister with a raised eyebrow. "'Kunoichi of the Year'?" he asked, making Naruko blush even harder, "And you're going to tell me all this when?" he teased with a grin.

Naruko spluttered as she tried to speak, "I-I was going to tell you over ramen tonight!"

Naruto grinned as he chuckled. "Then how about we celebrate it now? Iruka-sensei's treat!"

"Yay!"

"Hey! Don't I get a say in this?!" An indignant Iruka shouted, causing all three of them to burst out laughing.

Iruka retrieved a hitai-ate from his back pocket and tossed it to Naruto, who caught it with ease. "Congratulations Naruto, you've made it, on your first try too!"

Naruto smiled wistfully as ran his hand over the metal plate where the symbol of Konoha was engraved, and proceeded to tie it on his forehead, letting his bangs fall to the sides of his face and forehead, and at that moment both Iruka and Naruko saw for a split second the Yondaime Hokage standing there instead of Naruto. The young blonde male turned towards them and smiled, "Well what are we waiting for?"

Naruko giggled as she cheered. "Ichiraku's!"

Iruka sighed as he checked his poor wallet, slumping his head in dismay when he saw it was only enough to cover his expenses for the week.

He was going to be broke by the end of the night.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

After having their share of the ramen, with Naruto eating just as much as Naruko did, much to Iruka's horror, the new brother and sister were currently walking at a sedate pace towards Naruko's spacey apartment. Apparently the villagers decided to buy her a new house to atone for their mistakes and they bought her a house near the center of the village near the park years ago. Much to Naruto's relief, her apartment was spacious enough to house two bedrooms. Kami knows what would happen if they slept in the same room…

The meeting with the Ichirakus was a refreshing experience for Naruto, as he had missed his surrogate family a great deal back during the war. After hearing about him being the new big brother to Naruko, Ayame practically squealed in happiness as she hugged the daylights out of Naruko, much to her chagrin and Naruto's unending amusement. Teuchi welcomed Naruto into the family with open arms and an extra-large serving of his favorite miso ramen, and also a hidden warning sent by the ramen chef. _'Hurt her, and you're dead.'_ Were the exact words spoken to him by Teuchi, and Naruto decided to take his threat seriously, since the man emphasized his point by sharpening his cutting knife in front of him slowly and carefully, much to the amusement of Iruka, Ayame, a blushing Naruko, and a certain fox in his gut.

And now they were here, walking hand in hand towards Naruko's apartment. Apparently Naruko didn't want to break physical contact with her new brother, and wanted to stay with him throughout the entire day, much to his embarrassment. Soon, they were at the front door to her apartment, and Naruko immediately went about unlocking the door and pulled her brother in once opened.

Taking a few moments to refocus his vision when Naruko switched on the lights, one word came to his mind: clean.

Her apartment was spacious yet clean and orderly, with a small living room with a large red couch and a television set. Further back was a fully-stocked kitchen and a guest bathroom, and down the corridor to left of the front door were the bedrooms. Naruto saw that his sister's bedroom was filled with orange fox plushies that she unsuccessfully tried to hide it from him, causing him to burst out laughing at the irony of it all. There was also a dressing table, a queen-sized bed with red bed sheets, and a wardrobe along with a connected bathroom that linked to his room.

He also noticed that Naruko didn't care that much about her appearance as much as the other girls she knew in the Academy, judging by the lack of make-up. She said she would prefer spending most of her free time training rather than put on make-up to try and woo the boys. Her answer got her praise from Naruto and she blushed in appreciation.

His own room was also spacious as there was the linked bathroom, a dressing table, a queen-sized bed and a wardrobe. Naruto had asked Naruko why she had an extra room prepared, and she answered saying that she still held on to hope, no matter how slim it was, that a long-lost family member was still alive and waiting for her. She then said her wish came true and Naruto came into her life, much to her joy. Naruto smiled sadly as he hugged a teary-eyed Naruko as she cried tears of happiness, and carried her to bed when she had fallen asleep…

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

Naruto was currently staring up at the ceiling of his new room, waiting for the time to pass or his sleepiness to take over. He was still thinking about his future plans to deal with Kaguya with Kurama when he heard the door to his room open. Imagine his surprise and embarrassment when Naruko came in with an elegant purple nightgown that expressed her developing figure as she closed the door behind her.

Sighing as he sat up on his bed, Naruto asked. "What is it Naruko-chan?"

Naruko looked hesitant as she played with her golden blonde hair which was freely flowing down her back and reached to her knees. She had wanted to do this with her precious big brother for a while now, so she mustered up her courage and spoke, "Onii-chan… can I sleep with you?"

Naruto raised a surprised eyebrow in the dim lighting of the room, sitting up straighter. "Why?"

"I can't sleep…" she said shyly, shuffling her feet as she did, "I-I don't want to feel alone again… I'm scared that this is some elaborate genjutsu just to break my heart…" Naruto's eyes softened as he heard her pleading tone, "I-I'm scared that you'll disappear."

"I see…" Naruto said, before he smiled, moving aside and patting the empty space beside him, "Come here then."

Without wasting any more time, she bolted towards the empty spot and proceeded to curl up beside him. Naruto laid back down on the bed as he wrapped his arms around his sister, slowly rocking her to sleep. He was about to drift off as well when she heard Naruko whisper something.

"Ano… Onii-chan?"

"Yes imōto?"

She proceeded to kiss him on the forehead, leaving him frozen in place. "Goodnight . . ." An involuntary surge of happiness welled up within him, and he resisted the urge to shout out to the world about how happy he was feeling. He had finally known what a family's love was, and he couldn't be more relieved and happy. He had found his purpose of living, a person he would die to protect…

Breaking out of his stupor, he smiled as he responded by kissing _her_ forehead, earning a blush from her in return, "Goodnight, Naruko-chan…" As the new brother and sister drifted off under the night sky… their hands unconsciously intertwined together during the night… small smiles gracing their lips…

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

The next day, as the golden rays of the morning sun shone through the lace curtains of the room, illuminating the peaceful sleeping face of Naruko, whose eyes twitched a little before slowly opening, and she wondered why she was feeling so warm and safe at the moment. Her purple eyes widened as she immediately looked around, softening as she laid her eyes on the sleeping form of Naruto still holding her in an embrace, and she relaxed as her fears subsided.

The young girl was scared that yesterday's events were just a series of illusions caused by a genjutsu, and she was very worried that her new found happiness was just a cruel joke played by someone. She smiled warmly as she snuggled deeper into her brother's chest, closing her eyes as she tried to get some more sleep…

Suddenly, her bedside alarm clock sounded off, and Naruko had to resist the urge not to groan as she wanted to spend as much time with her new precious person. She blushed as her thoughts suddenly derailed and headed somewhere _inappropriate_, and she shook her head vigorously to clear them as she slipped out of Naruto's embrace and stopped the alarm clock, which showed it was about eight in the morning. She berated herself for feeling that way towards her brother, which was wrong to her in so many ways. But, in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but feel that her feelings were… _right_. Naruko had never felt this way towards anyone before, not even Sasuke or Kiba back in the Academy. Her growing feelings towards her new brother were _different_, which to her was a hundred times more powerful than her slight feelings toward the Inuzuka heir.

She sighed as she shook her head to clear her thoughts. She would dwell on those feelings later, and figure out on her own what her feelings were at this point in her own time…

"Good morning, Naruko-chan," a voice called, and Naruko jumped slightly as she turned to face a fully awake Naruto with a warm smile on his face, "Did you sleep well?" he asked.

Naruko nodded. "Yes I did, thank you for asking onii-chan." She replied cheerfully. "How long were you awake?"

"Not long," the boy replied, stretching his muscles in his arms as he did so, "A few minutes ago when I saw you stop that annoying clock."

Naruko giggled. "Sorry about that… I wanted for us to stay in a little longer…"

Naruto sighed as he stood up from the bed. "Though I would like that as it gives us more brother-sister bonding time…" Naruko blushed as she remembered her thoughts from earlier, quickly quashing them before it could go any further, "We do have team placements to attend you know." He explained as the girl nodded.

"Alright, I'll go change then." Without waiting for an answer, she ran into the bathroom a closed it shut, but not before calling out, "There's a fresh towel and toothbrush in the dressing table! You can use my toothpaste since you don't have one!"

Naruto chuckled as he pulled out a scroll. "You've got it Naruko-chan…" he muttered as he channeled chakra into the scroll, and a set of clothes came out in a puff of smoke.

Before leaving the Hokage's office, Naruto had requested the old Kage for a new set of clothes and new equipment, to which the old man happily complied as he immediately ordered one of his most trusted ANBU, Neko, to fulfill the order. Additionally, Naruto had also requested tri-pronged kunais to be made and also some high quality chakra-conducive ink and fūinjutsu supplies, and the ever perceptive Hiruzen had a pretty good idea on what they were for as he had them ordered and made personally…

He began to slip into his new attire, which consisted of an orange shirt over a fishnet bodysuit with a grey hoodie jacket with a red whirlpool design on the back over it, blue shinobi pants held together by a black belt, and a pair of black sandals. Naruto proceed to attach two kunai holsters to his thighs, one on each leg, and a weapons pouch to his waist. The jacket he wore also served a second purpose: the pockets was where he stored all his sealing scrolls and fūinjutsu supplies through an applied storage seal which stores his belongings away in a pocket dimension, so he wouldn't have to carry much during long travels. He silently thanked his father and Kurama for teaching him that…

**"****You're welcome,"**

Naruto chuckled as he zipped up his jacket. _'You've been quiet all night, what's up?'_

**"****Oh nothing, just enjoying the drama between you and the vixen," **Kurama said, grinning at his container's blush.

_'__Shut it nii-san,'_ and the blonde boy left it at that. He was about to head to the bathroom to wash up, the door to his room opened, revealing a fully dressed Naruko standing there, a warm smile on her face.

"You ready to go yet, onii-chan?" she asked, while also noticing the new change in clothes, which made Naruto all the more attractive to her eyes. She mentally chided herself, _'No! Bad Naruko-chan! You can't think of him that way! He's your brother for Kami's sake!' _But no matter how much she kept telling herself to stop, Naruko's feelings towards her brother just kept growing stronger, and Naruto wasn't even _trying_ to cause such a reaction from her!

Naruto shook his head negatively. "Not yet. Just let me brush my teeth and wash up, you go on and take your breakfast first, I'll catch up." He said.

"Okay!" she called out as she went to take her breakfast, "But be quick! We don't want to be late during team placements!"

"Hai!" Naruto called back, "Make sure to check your milk to see if it's spoilt! I've checked it last night and I saw it's expired..." and true to his word, when Naruko checked on of her cartons of milk, it was way past the expiration date! She quickly threw them in the bin and opened up a new carton, this one she bought a few days ago, and poured herself a glass. If Naruto hadn't warned her, she would've chugged down that carton of expired milk without a second thought… she shivered as she thought of going to the bathroom all day due to an upset tummy… it wouldn't be pretty, that much she knew.

In the bathroom, Naruto grimaced when he remembered _his _own encounter with the expired milk… that was one of his most embarrassing and _painful_ memories ever.

**"****Good thing you had me sealed inside you, or you would've been admitted to a ward and have your intestines cleaned because of it…" **Kurama said with amusement in his voice, much to Naruto's chagrin as the fox wouldn't let him hear the end of it…

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

After enjoying a breakfast of rice balls and milk courtesy of Naruko, the Uzumaki siblings were now standing in front of a blacksmith store named "Tetsu no Konoha", or "Iron of the Leaf". Naruko looked at her brother in bewilderment, "Why are we here, Naruto-nii? Wasn't the Academy in the other direction?" she asked. She had been a little curious when Naruto wanted to take a detour to the Academy, but she hadn't expected him to visit a blacksmith of all places.

Naruto nodded with a small smile. "Yes, but Hokage-Jiji promised me to make these kunai that I requested for me, and I'm here to collect them!" he explained cheerfully, making the girl nod in understanding, "Come on, let's go in!" he said as he ushered her inside.

Inside, sitting behind the counter was a fairly heavyset man in his late forties with graying dark hair and brown eyes, and those same eyes lit up when he saw the Uzumaki siblings enter as he stood up to greet them. "Ah, welcome to my humble abode! What can I do for you today?"

Naruto stepped up to the counter and placed down a note. "I was told that Hokage-sama had ordered some special kunai from you?" seeing the man nod in confirmation, Naruto continued, "I'm here to collect them. Here's the pass,"

"Well you've come at the right time!" the man said as he turned around after scanning the note to confirm its authenticity to rummage through the countless racks of weapons of all shapes and sizes, "To be frank, I'm actually quite confused at first when Hokage-sama asked me to make them, since nobody had used them since the Yondaime Hokage."

Off to the side, Naruko's eyes widened as she heard those words. Her brother was using something that hadn't been used by anyone since the Yondaime himself? Just when Naruko thought she had her brother figured out, he would then go and surprise her again with something even more outrageous and cool.

A few minutes later, a few dozen scrolls were placed on the counter as the man finally fished out the last scroll from the back, "And that's the last one. I've applied the seal on the handle as Hokage-sama requested and sealed them into these scrolls. The payment's already been made, so no worries there." The man said cheerfully. Naruto shook the man's hand as he sealed all the scrolls away into his storage seal, "Tell Hokage-sama, it's a pleasure doing business with him!"

Naruto nodded and waved at the man as he followed Naruko on the way out, "I will!" and the both of them started to make their way towards the Academy.

Naruko turned to him, expression curious. "So, what's in the scrolls?" she asked, as the number of scrolls were a lot, and even with her limited knowledge of fūinjutsu she could tell that a large number of objects were sealed in them. What are they; she had no clue… that was why she was asking right now.

Naruto chuckled. "They're special kunais that I am planning to use in the future." He said. Of course he could use them now if he wanted to, but decided against it as it could draw too much attention to himself and Naruko.

"Really?! Can I see them?" the excitable girl asked, eager to know what was so special about the kunais that made her brother buy them in large numbers.

Naruto chuckled at her cuteness. "I'll show it to you tonight when we go home, not right now though."

Naruko pouted, but nodded nonetheless. "Hai, onii-chan… let's just get to the Academy then!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Naruto asked with a grin, "Let's get going! Last one there is a rotten shinobi!" he shouted and he bolted towards the Academy by jumping onto the rooftops, with Naruko soon joining him, both laughing all the way.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

The Konoha Academy's graduating class was currently waiting for their senseis to arrive, and the eager young shinobi were chatting adamantly among themselves, and in one case, sleeping. This year's batch of Genin saw the highest number of heirs and heiresses from the most prestigious clans in Konoha graduating in the same year, and suffice to say many saw them as the greatest generation Konoha has ever produced.

Most noticeable were Nara Shikamaru of the Nara Clan, who was currently dozing off at the end of the class; Akimichi Chōji of the Akimichi Clan, who was munching on a bag of chips; Yamanaka Ino of the Yamanaka Clan, who was currently having a glaring contest with her rival and friend Haruno Sakura over who gets to sit with the last of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Sasuke, who was brooding beside the window while tuning out the argument that was beside him and thinking about how he would kill _that _man. There was also Aburame Shino of the insect-using Aburame Clan, who remained emotionless throughout the waiting session; Inuzuka Kiba of the Inuzuka Clan, who was petting his ninken Akamaru who was in his jacket, and last but not least, Hyūga Hinata of the Hyūga Clan, who was busy scanning the room with her pale lavender eyes for her best friend.

Since joining the Academy, Hinata had always been very shy around others due to her status as clan heiress and her father's strict attitude towards her since her mother's death. She wallowed in her self-pity and sorrow because of that...

Before Uzumaki Naruko came into her life, the one who gave her friendship and kindness and strength to do what she believes in, not what others expected of her. In a short time, Naruko had broken Hinata out of her shell and instilled the confidence she so desperately needed into her, and the Hyūga Heiress became a force to be reckoned with during the Academy, sweeping aside all opposition except for Naruko who she was nipping at the heels. She had also earned her father's respect after the man saw her progress in the Academy, much to her joy and happiness. She couldn't repay Naruko for what she did that turned her life for the better…

_'__Naruko-chan, where are you?'_ Hinata thought worriedly, '_You're not normally this late… what's keeping you?' _

Of course she had heard the rumors that Mizuki had sabotaged the test and purposely failed Naruko out of spite, and in a rare moment of rage Hinata wanted to strike a _Jūken_ palm to the man's heart. After resolving the situation with the Hokage, Hinata was sure that Naruko had passed the test… she had faith she did.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when the door suddenly opened, and her eyes widened in joy at the familiar shade of blonde hair she grew to adore. All chatter suddenly stopped as everyone in the room turned to look at the newcomer, most showing surprise while some showed indifference and some showed approval, at the sudden appearance of their 'Kunoichi of the Year' and object of most boy's affections, Uzumaki Naruko.

Hinata was the first out of her seat as she quickly glomped her best friend. "Naruko-chan!" she squealed, "I knew the rumors weren't true! You passed after all!"

Naruko just chuckled at her best friend as she pointed at her hitai-ate around her neck, tied like a necklace much like Hinata's. "Yep. I passed Hina-chan!" she declared with a huge smile.

Seeing her other friends starting to move towards them, Hinata was about to say something when Naruko suddenly turned and shouted at the door, "Hah! Told you I would win!" and the entire class went silent as they stared at Naruko like she had grown a second head.

Hinata was the first to speak. "Ano, Naruko-chan? Who are you talking to?" she asked. The blonde couldn't have just randomly talked to a door, can she? She may be hyperactive at times, but not until the point of insanity!

Before anyone could comment further, as Kiba was halfway opening his mouth, when a new voice entered the room. "Not unless you call tricking me into believing you were hurt and got a ten-second head start _fair_, then yes, you win." The voice, a male one said, amused.

Naruko giggled – much to the shock of the boys, who never heard the cute blonde giggle before since starting the Academy – as she smiled. "Don't be such a sore loser, and you're paying me for ramen tonight!" she declared triumphantly as a new figure stepped into the room… to reveal a handsome blonde boy about their age with spiky hair and was taller than most of them with a charming smile on his face… which caused some of the girls to actually have stars in their eyes. The rest of the class was stunned out of their wits as they thought they saw a younger Yondaime standing before them…

The blonde boy chuckled as he shook his head. "Hai, hai… whatever you say…" he said in admission, with Naruko smiling triumphantly as he did so as the class remained dead silent, first by the fact that Naruko had actually _giggled_ and two by the appearance of the blonde boy who looked as if he could defeat any one of them with ease. Even Shikamaru was wide awake and Chōji had stopped munching his chips… a true show stopper indeed…

Hinata was the first to snap out of the shock by the sudden appearance of the blonde male. "Naruko-chan… who's this?" she asked, and judging by the forehead protector, he was also a shinobi.

Naruko smiled even brighter at her if that was even possible, "Hinata-chan, allow me to introduce to you my new big brother, Uzumaki Naruto-onii-chan!" the class was stunned at her declaration as they turned to look at the blonde boy in shock who just waved at them, "Naruto-nii-chan, meet my best friend Hyūga Hinata and the rest of my class!" she said to him.

Naruto bowed slightly. "It's an honor to meet you all… I hope we can get along." He politely said. He had brushed up his manners while alone in his mindscape with Kurama on the way here, and truth be told he hated being polite when he could just act like himself, but the situation required him to at least _act _like he was polite. After all, deception was a shinobi's greatest weapon… Nevertheless, he smiled warmly when he saw all of his friends again alive and well.

Shikamaru's intelligent mind was going a mile a minute as he tried to process the information in front of him. _'What the hell? He's her older brother, and an Uzumaki to boot? That explains the similarities but why does he look like as if he can beat all of us and make it look easy? This is so troublesome…'_ he thought as he decided to just go back to sleep, deeming it too troublesome for him to think anymore.

The rest of the Rookie Nine had varied reactions; Shino was just… as emotionless as ever. Kiba was eyeing the blonde boy who he saw a threat to his position as the alpha male. Ino was already on Naruko as she and Sakura bombarded the poor girl with question after question. Chōji just continued to eat his chips. Hinata was congratulating her best friend for finally having a family member she always dreamed of…

And Sasuke was eyeing the blonde boy in question, trying to measure his power and compared with his own. The unique aura that the blonde gave off resonated with power and authority, and Sasuke was contemplating whether he would take that sort of power for himself.

Hinata was smiled at Naruto as she shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you Naruto-san!" she chirped happily, and Naruto idly wondered what had caused such a drastic, but positive change in the Hyūga Heiress. "I hope you're treating Naruko-chan right… or we're going to have a slight… _problem._" she added with a sickly sweet smile, which promised pain if the wrong answer was given.

Naruto nodded with a grin, the threat heard loud and clear. "Of course. . . I had to make up for all the times I hadn't been there for her when she really needed it." He said with a sad voice, and turned to look at his sister, who also wore an understanding smile. "I'll never leave her side again . . . that's a promise of a lifetime." He declared, earning a grateful glomp from said girl.

"Thank you onii-chan!" Naruto just laughed as the blonde girl just clung to him like no one's business, and he was getting used to the extra weight of his sister whenever she tried to jump on him out of nowhere.

It was then Kiba approached Naruko with a slight flush on his face, which didn't go unnoticed by Naruto, who narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "That's great Naruko-chan!" he said, "Why don't we go celebrate at Ichiraku's after team placements? My treat!" Naruto felt an involuntary urge to punch the dog user in the face for _deliberately_ asking _his_ sister out on a date _right in front of her brother!_ His new big brother senses were yelling at him to do something, while his feelings were also yelling the same, though for different reasons entirely.

Naruto released the breath he never thought he held when he saw his cute sister shook her head no. "Sorry Kiba-kun, but I've got the rest of the day planned with onii-chan!" she explained, and Kiba deflated as he glared at the said boy out of the corner of his eyes. "He's still new to the village, and I still got tons of things I wanna tell him!"

"Speaking of which, how did you become a shinobi. You hadn't taken the test with us!" Ino practically shouted, making her friends wince.

Naruto reached up and tightened his hitai-ate, fixing his bangs as he did. "True. But Hokage-sama gave me permission to join the shinobi corps if I took a test, which I passed yesterday. Am I right, Iruka-sensei?" he asked, and as if on cue the scarred chūnin entered the room.

"Yes you are Naruto," Iruka said and he turned to the rest of the class who gave him their undivided attention, a rare thing for them to do, "Alright everyone! As you may have known, Uzumaki Naruto will be joining us as a fellow shinobi of Konoha, so I expect every one of you, and yes I'm talking about you too, Kiba," the brown haired teacher said sternly to the said boy who was grumbling, "to show him the proper respect you would give to your classmates and teammates and fellow shinobi. Do you understand?" receiving a chorus of "Hai's" later, Iruka nodded.

"Alright, now please take your seats, I will be announcing the teams," he declared, as he waited for them to take their seats, subtly noticing that the Uzumaki siblings were sitting together.

After a few minutes, the first six teams were called out, and Naruto leaned forward intently as he idly wondered if the teams would be different given the odd number of graduates, courtesy of him. "Team Seven will consist of Uchiha Sasuke," the raven-haired boy nodded indifferently as his fangirls squealed and cheered for him, "Haruno Sakura," a shout came from the pink-haired girl, as she kept shouting about how 'true love always wins' at Ino, who slumped her head in dismay while the other girls groaned.

Naruto also noticed that Naruko was holding his hand worriedly as she gritted her teeth nervously as the next name was called, "Uzumaki Naruko," and now it was the guy's turn to groan at not being on the same team as the cutest girl in the class, while Naruko's eyes widened as she turned to look at her brother in slight panic, who just reassuring squeezed her hand and smiled kindly, signifying everything was alright.

Unknown to them, they failed to notice the last Uchiha smirking, eyes filled with slight lust and want. Naruko was his to begin with… strong, smart, attractive and _not_ annoying… the perfect attributes he looked for in a wife, and he swore he was going to make her his if it's the last thing he did…

But also unknown to him, all of his dark thoughts and feelings were being read like an open book by a certain blonde boy as the temperature in the room dropped slightly and killer intent filled the room, but it was gone as fast as it appeared, causing the rest of the class to dismiss it as nothing.

Before Naruto could even plan about how he should get back at the Uchiha for mentally violating his sister, Iruka continued, "and due to the odd number of graduates this year, Team Seven will have an extra member, making it the first five-man cell in the history of Konoha." Iruka announced as he ignored the surprised gasps from his students as they wondered on who was going to be the fourth member, "the last member will be Uzumaki Naruto…"

Silence was the answer he was given with, and then all hell broke loose.

Naruto couldn't help but groan. Why was it that he hadn't noticed that he and his friends were this annoying and clueless back then?

He had no idea.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

**THE END**

**Phew, now that's done and out of the way. Thank you guys so much for the reviews and the support for my first Naruto fic! I'm trying to make it as immersive and interesting as possible. Anything, just review the story.**

**Note: slightly rewritten to smooth out bad writing as of December 11th, 2015.**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE. **

**HEIROFROHAN signing off**

**PEACE!**


	4. SSDD (Pending Rewrite)

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Four: Same Shit, Different Day (S.S.D.D)**

* * *

"What?!" Kiba shouted in anger when Iruka announced all the teams as the boy looked indignant and unconvinced, causing Naruko to glare the dog user slightly for indirectly insulting her brother, "But he only joined yesterday! How can he be put in the same team as Sasuke and Naruko!?" he asked in a slightly louder tone.

It was already bad enough that he wasn't put on the same team as his crush, but for _him_ be on the same team with her when he only joined them yesterday threw him over the edge. He was _not _going to stay silent after this turn of events!

After Team Seven was announced, Team Eight had been him, Hinata and Shino, Team Nine was still active and Team Ten was consisted of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. Kiba could readily agree to the others, but he was still adamant about their decision to put Naruto into Team Seven. If anything, it should be him taking the blonde's place!

The scarred chūnin instructor sighed as he shook his head in disappointment as he looked at the boy, "Kiba, I am very disappointed in you . . . barely a few minutes had passed and you're already acting as if Naruto is beneath you . . . that is not exemplary behavior for a Konoha shinobi," he said sternly, causing the boy to shut up instantly, though his eyes still shone with defiance. Iruka sighed, "It looks like you are still unconvinced…" then an idea hit him as he turned to the young blonde shinobi, who had his eyes closed in a meditative position at his desk, with his sister sitting beside him trying to do the same, but failing miserably, much to Iruka's silent amusement.

"Naruto!" he called.

Naruto opened one of his azure orbs and looked up at the brown haired chūnin, "What is it Iruka-sensei?"

"I still haven't graded your taijutsu yet, and I believe we have the perfect opportunity to do that right now!" Iruka announced, making the rest of the class looking stunned at the news. Naruto had not only passed the Genin Exams, but he passed it without taking the taijutsu portion of the test… and many of the girls were starting to eye him in a new light while the boys started seethe in jealousy… Naruto however acted indifferent as he just shrugged and he rolled his shoulders as he walked over to Iruka, with Naruko following behind him.

"Guess that's alright with me… I haven't had a good fight in a _long_ time." He said with a slight smile, "So… who's my opponent?"

"Well…" Iruka started, adopting a slight thinking pose, "I was thinking about putting Sasuke against you… but since Kiba is _unconvinced _about your abilities as a shinobi… I'll let him take you on before your Jōnin senseis arrive."

"Alright!" Kiba shouted cockily as he smirked at Naruto, "Just you wait! Soon I'll show everyone and Naruko-chan who's the top dog here!" He said confidently, but Akamaru lowly whined as the puppy retreated further into his master's jacket.

The small canine had already sensed the tremendous power radiating off the blonde, and the ninken was sure that the blonde boy in front of them was no ordinary boy… he was way out of their league…

Naruto immediately lost the cheerful expression on his face as he looked at Kiba coldly, promptly making him and the people around him back away from him in fear. Naruko was also slightly scared at first but when she looked at him, she noticed that all of his anger wasn't directed at her or anyone in particular… it was directed at the Inuzuka heir, who was close to wetting his pants… even Iruka sweated a little at the blonde's obvious display of killing intent.

No normal boy should possess such an overwhelming aura!

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he spoke.

"Listen here dog boy, and you listen well…" he started, voice icy like the frozen north, letting a sliver of Kurama's chakra into his vocal cords, making everyone shake in fear, "I _don't _care about you showing that you're some top dog alpha here, or about me taking the spotlight away from you as the class clown away from you…" he continued as his every word, every syllable was laced with so much coldness most would've thought Kiba had caught frostbite from it, "_But…_ if you talk about Naruko-chan, _my precious imōto_, like she's just some trophy to be won…well, we both know what's going to happen…" he left the threat hang in the air as he slowly, and audibly cracked his knuckles, making sure every crack was crisp and loud enough for everyone to hear.

Iruka could've sworn, not in his many years of teaching, had _any_ of his classes been as quiet as this one was now…

Just as quickly as it appeared, a neutral but calm look replaced the cold one on Naruto's face and everyone relaxed as everyone looked at him in slight fear, Kiba more than most; even Shikamaru was shocked awake by the tense atmosphere and that was saying something.

Naruto smiled a bit as he bowed his head slightly, "I hope we've reached an understanding Inuzuka-san…now, shall we head to the sparring grounds?" he said curtly before walking out of the room, heading towards the sparring grounds, leaving the stunned class behind… and a heavily blushing Naruko.

Hinata leaned over to her best friend's ears, "I didn't know he was the overly protective type… but still," she giggled as she smiled, "She's a good catch Naruko-chan… handsome, smart, and _very _protective… the perfect boy-"she never got to finish her sentence as her mouth was instantly covered by a pair of hands, courtesy of a tomato red Naruko.

"S-Shut up! Dattebane!" she cried out in embarrassment before she went after her brother while desperately fighting down the blush on her face. Never in her life had someone so _openly _said that they would protect her and wouldn't let anyone treat her like some trophy… she felt warmth welling inside of her as she thought of the words Naruto had said to protect her… the confident and possessive tone he spoke with… and the way his cerulean eyes shone with untamed anger to defend her…

She was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on her shoulder, making her look into the beautiful cerulean eyes of Naruto, who had a concerned look on his face, making her feel all warm inside…

"Naruko-chan, you alright?" he asked in concern as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry about earlier… I had to get my message across to dog boy…" he said in slight anger.

Naruko blushed at his concern and shook her head as she embraced him, resting her head on his chest, listening to his strong and steady heartbeat. "Don't worry… And I think Kiba-kun got the message quite clear after your little stunt…"

Naruto chuckled sheepishly as he led his sister towards the sparring ring, right arm still draped over her shoulders, never breaking physical contact. "I was never one for theatrics, but I handled it well don't you think?" he joked, receiving a giggle and a light jab to his ribs from Naruko in response.

**"****I think it was good," **Kurama said telepathically, sounding amused, **"Did you see the look on the dog boy's face when you said you would do Kami knows what to him! Hah!" **he laughed, **"I'm willing to bet a million ryō that he pissed his pants right there at the end!"**

_'__Didn't think he would get scared so easily,'_ Naruto mentally chuckled, _'…but, so was my unwarranted reaction to his remark…'_

Kurama howled in laughter as he spoke with mirth, **"Don't you see? You were just protecting your mate when you heard that remark and went all protective of her! That's what having a soulmate is all about…"** Kurama laughed again at his otōto's blush as the blonde tried to gather his thoughts.

_'__But… how? I mean I do love her already… but I don't know if it's familial love or…'_ Naruto hesitated as he fumbled with the last word, while trying to hide his growing blush from Naruko who was right beside him…

Kurama sighed as he laid down on his paws, **"You'll find out soon enough otōto… just let nature run its course, with me guiding it along the way of course… and we'll see…" **he added with a chuckle, making Naruto roll his eyes at the fox's antics.

Arriving at the sparring grounds, Naruto waited on one side of the sparring ring in the middle as he waited for the rest for the class to file out, all of them eager and curious to see his abilities. Naruko stood to the side with her friends and he noticed that Kiba had stood across from him as the dog user glared daggers at him, but then he noticed that the boy's pants were different than the ones he wore in the morning when he came in…

Kurama chuckled, **"See? Told you so…"**

Naruto chuckled back mentally, _'Alright, knock it off nii-san, the fight's about to start…'_

Iruka stood in between them as he listed down the rules. "Alright you two, the rules are simple. First one to knock your opponent out of the ring or until either one of you can't fight anymore, wins. If the spar gets out of hand, I'll step in if necessary…"

Both Naruto and Kiba nodded as Iruka continued. "Ready?" Both boys got into their respective taijutsu stances, with Naruto adopting his personal taijutsu stance while Kiba got into the Inuzuka Clan's style on all fours, causing the crowd of students to wait in anticipation, "HAJIME!" Iruka shouted as he leapt away from the ring.

Kiba wasted no time as he dashed forward at the blonde at speed, intending to end the fight with one hit. His hopes of an easy victory were shattered once Naruto sidestepped the punch that was aimed for his head, skillfully turning around and landing a roundhouse kick at Kiba's back, who stumbled forward at the force of the kick. Kiba growled before charging again, this time going for feint by going for the blonde's stomach, quickly changing stances and went for a sweeping kick, intending to knock his opponent's feet out from under him.

The Inuzuka heir was once again denied his chance when Naruto saw the attack coming from a mile away and just dodged both of his attacks by jumping over them before striking a palm thrust at Kiba's chest, sending him skidding backwards before stopping at the edge of the ring.

Naruto stood there with his arms crossed, eyes cold and serious, "Is that all you've got? I'm not impressed in the slightest…" he said dismissively, making the other boy growl in anger.

"You'll pay for that!" Kiba shouted, before he dashed forward again in an attempt to hit the blonde in the chest, only to hit air as he was sent flying when Naruto suddenly appeared under his guard and uppercutted him in the chin. While still in midair, Kiba had only a second to clear the cobwebs in his head before Naruto appeared above him, twisting his body before slamming a falling axe-kick into the dog user's midsection, sending him crashing to the ground with a painful thud. As the dust cleared, Kiba laid on the ground, coughing in pain as he panted and spat out the blood in his mouth when he had bit his lip. Naruto landed gracefully on the ground as he crossed his arms, not feeling the slightest bit winded from the fight.

"You done yet?" Naruto asked with a blank expression.

Kiba coughed as he raised his hand and hung his head in defeat. "I forfeit sensei."

"Winner, Uzumaki Naruto!" Iruka announced to the stunned class. Kiba was definitely one of the best fighters in their class, and some say he was in a class of his own and only Sasuke or Naruko could even stand a chance against him… but for Naruto to defeat him with relative ease and in such a short time and to not be winded after the fight and not be hit even _once_ was nothing short of shocking…

As Kiba tried to stand, he saw Naruto extending a hand to him, who had an appraising look on his face. "Not bad Inuzuka-san, you've lasted longer than most Genin when they fought with me… and I've fought _plenty_ of them." Naruto commented with a grin. Kiba looked at him, then his hand, before grinning in return as he took the hand and Naruto pulled him up to stand. The blonde male patted him on the back, "Train harder, never give up… that's the secret for _trying, _maybe…" he grinned, "…beating me and becoming stronger, and I'll expect a rematch by then…"

Kiba grinned back at the blonde, his earlier misgivings about him gone and were now replaced by respect. "You bet Naruto!" he said and Naruto chuckled. Everyone who saw the scene couldn't help but feel respect at the blonde's sportsmanship, which was rare in the shinobi world. Naruko smiled in pride as she beamed proudly at her brother.

It was then they noticed Iruka walking over to them, a smile on his face.

"Well done you two, especially you Naruto!" Iruka said with pride, "Being a shinobi of Konoha means helping and protecting your fellow shinobi, which you did splendidly!" He continued as he smiled, "Congratulations Naruto, you've passed your taijutsu test."

Naruto smiled and nodded. "Thank you sensei."

"That doesn't seem like a fight to me…" a dark voice said and everyone turned in surprise to see the last Uchiha talking, a smirk on his face, "Dog breath over there barely gave the blonde dobe a challenge," he scoffed, "that's what you get for being weak, loser…"

Kiba growled in anger as Naruto tried to hold the enraged boy back, holding him by the boy's arms, "What did you say you bastard!? Come on Naruto! Let me at 'em! He insulted you too!" the brown haired boy shouted as he continued to struggle out of Naruto's hold, but the blonde held firm as he barely moved a muscle and turned to face the smirking raven-haired Uchiha, his expression unreadable. Then, to the shock of everyone who was there as they were expecting a short argument to erupt between the two, Naruto did something no one expected…

He laughed out loudly, causing the whole class to stay silent as the smirk on the Uchiha's face to vanish almost instantly as he glared at the laughing blonde.

"What do you think you are doing?" he asked irritably as his glare intensified, trying to goad a reaction from the blonde male, "If you're laughing because you are too weak to face me: an elite, then be my guest…" he added with a smirk.

"N-No…" Naruto wheezed out as he tried to catch his breath, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes as he tried to repress the chuckle that escaped from him, making Sasuke all the more angry. Naruto took a deep breath as he sobered up, "I'm laughing because of the joke you pulled about Kiba being a loser and all, that would _really _funny if it were true," Sasuke narrowed his eyes Naruto continued to speak, his expression calm, "I mean, he actually got to fight me and almost caught me off guard… but the thing is, I'm _never_ caught off guard, not even for a single second, and to be able to catch me off guard like he did proves that he has potential…"

Kiba looked on with gratitude and respect as Sasuke scoffed uncaringly, "So what? I am an Uchiha, and I can beat the likes of you in under a minute . . ." he said arrogantly with a smug smirk.

"Care to bet on that, Uchiha-_san_?" Naruto asked, his eyebrow rose and putting as much sarcasm into the honorific as possible, which further infuriated the Last Uchiha.

Sasuke turned to Iruka as he spoke.

"Sensei! I demand that I be put to the test with the blonde dobe, so that I can put him I his place: among the losers…"

Meanwhile, Naruko growled as she unconsciously clenched and unclenched her hands, all the while grinding her teeth in anger. Every single word that came out of the emo-king's mouth was always derogatory or a direct insult to Naruto… and her classmates backed away from her in fear as a dangerously dark aura appearing around her that clung to her like a cloak. She was _very _angry…angry at the raven-haired Uchiha for insulting and belittling her brother who had clearly proven his worth as a worthy shinobi of Konoha.

Iruka was also frowning at the young Uchiha when he spoke sternly, "Well I wouldn't mind having you go up against Naruto, Sasuke… but you're still a fresh Genin out of the Academy who is currently speaking to a fellow shinobi of higher rank… so watch your tone…" Sasuke scoffed but said nothing, instead directing his piercing gaze at the blonde male.

Iruka sighed tiredly as he gestured towards the sparring ring, "Would Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto come forth to the ring?" he announced. Without hesitation, Sasuke stepped into place, smug smile plastered on his face, confident of an easy victory and to finally show Naruko just how weak her so-called brother was as compared to him. Naruto on the other hand just took his position opposite of him, not before waving at the cheers from Naruko and Kiba to kick the Uchiha's hide.

"Alright, the rules are the same as before; first one to knock your opponents out of the ring or couldn't continue wins. Fighters ready?" Both boys slipped into their respective taijutsu stances, not taking off their eyes of their opponents.

"Ichi," Naruto closed his eyes as he focused on drawing on the energies around him, increasing his senses, "Nii," taking Naruto's gesture as a sign of resignation, Sasuke smirked triumphantly as he prepared to attack, "San," a deathly tense atmosphere loomed over the sparring grounds, the fresh Genin not daring to take their eyes off the spar, with Sasuke's fangirls stating 'he's got this in the bag' and 'he'll never stand a chance…' and the other half rooting for the newly arrived blonde…

"HAJIME!" At Iruka's shout, Naruko's eyes widened in shock when Sasuke closed the distance between him and Naruto in less than a second, and her heart clenched painfully when he was about to land the decisive finishing blow on the Uzumaki male, hoping for a fast victory…

…And once again to everyone's shock and amazement, like Kiba before him, Sasuke's fist only managed to hit air, his onyx eyes widening in shock.

"What the -" Sasuke started to say, but couldn't finish his sentence when he felt a sharp pain in his gut, eyes widening in pain and stunned realization when he saw Naruto's fist driving deep into his stomach, azure eyes staring deep into the Uchiha's soul. The entire class gawked in stunned surprised and even Naruko had to suppress a surprised gasp, even if she was the only Genin capable of taking on Sasuke in taijutsu one-on-one, she wasn't as fast as him, and even she would have had a hard time fighting him with his advantage in speed…but Naruto basically _sidestepped _the Uchiha's attack at the last possible moment, proving the theory that he was _never_ caught off guard to be astonishingly true, as accredited to the blonde's advanced reflexes and speed…

Sasuke winced in pain as he staggered back towards his starting point, with Naruto not even moving an inch from his own spot. Sasuke's onyx eyes flared in utter fury as he growled audibly at being hit. In all his years spent in the Academy, never once had anyone landed a hit on him, with the exception of Naruko who he'd found to be his equal, none of the other Genin could even match up to him in taijutsu… and to be upstaged by this no-name clan less orphan who just showed up was extremely degrading to the Uchiha's pride. But Sasuke planned to remedy that…

Sasuke launched himself at the blonde again, closing the distance before bringing his leg up to kick his head which Naruto ducked effortlessly under it. Sasuke then followed up with a series of small jabs and punches, intending on probing the blonde's defenses, only to find that every attack was either dodged or deflected like they were nothing, which infuriated Sasuke even more as he blindly charged again and again, with Naruto dodging and deflecting in kind as well. Sasuke growled in anger when he saw the blank look on the blonde's face, appearing as if he was not taking the spar seriously…but unknown to him, Naruto was conversing mentally with his tenant while muscle memory and reflexes did all the work for him at the moment…

**"****Ano, otōto…do you really have to toy with him that much? You'd come off as showing off…" **Kurama stated, amusement clear in his voice, **"I mean, he's still a teme and all and still with the stick up his ass…but aren't you going a little too far? Even if his ego needed to be taken down a peg or two?" **He asked with a knowing grin, causing Naruto to look up mentally at the Bijū with a small blush on his face which was twisted in a frown while his real body fought with Sasuke, if one could call it a fight….

_"__I don't like the vibe he was giving off towards Naruko-chan…" _Naruto explained embarrassedly, _"And you know I can sense emotions thanks to you right? Well I sensed his intentions, which I think you felt it too…" _he growled at end as he watched his body slug it out with the last Uchiha, who was visibly showing signs of tiring out.

Kurama sighed and chuckled. **"Yeah, I felt it. Sounds to me like you're jealous otōto…"**

Naruto's blush returned full force as he spluttered, _"N-No! I was just…looking out for imōto! Yeah, that's it!" _he laughed awkwardly as he shuffled his feet on the grasslands of the hill he was standing on in his mindscape, trying to laugh off his situation, before eventually hanging his head in defeat. _"Yeah… I'm jealous…."_

**"****Figures…"**

_"__Can it nii-san," _Naruto retorted angrily, _"What would you do if someone looks at your most precious person like some trophy to be won or meat to be bought?" _he asked rhetorically, causing Kurama to nod in understanding even if he knew that he too was angry at the raven-haired Uchiha. _"I can't stand it when people look at her like that…"_

The Kyūbi no Kitsune chuckled as he slowly stood up and stretched. He could already tell that his container cared for his new sister more than a brother should, and he respected and supported him for it. **"Then by all means… kick his ass, for you and Naruko's sake."**

The blonde Sage nodded as he grinned. _"That's the plan, nii-san!"_

Back in the real world, Sasuke was cursing internally as he stood across from the blonde dobe, panting as he tried to regain his breath. For the past ten minutes, he and Naruto had fought with him still attacking and the blonde still defending. Sasuke couldn't remember the last time he was this tired, not even when _he _sparred with him, and what's more infuriating was that the blonde looked daisy fresh even from the non-stop fighting and was still full of energy, mocking him with that same blank look on his angled face. The graduating class was also stumped at the 'Rookie of the Year' was being outlasted by the newcomer as they had expected the fight to end fairly quickly like Kiba's with either Sasuke or Naruto winning, but it seemed to most of the shinobi-to-be there that the blonde was purposely stalling and prolonging the fight, and for what purpose than to tire out the Uchiha, they didn't know…

Naruko frowned as she contemplated on her brother's motives in his match against Sasuke. Carefully putting the pieces together in her head through her observations and past experiences with both boys, she couldn't be more perplexed; For one thing, Naruko was very confident that her onii-chan can win this fight without much effort and outright dominate the Uchiha, but for some reason beyond her comprehension, he didn't, instead choosing to obviously toy with Sasuke by just sidestepping and deflecting his strikes.

From the short time that she had known Naruto, she knew he wasn't that kind of person and the only reason he even resorted to this kind of display was… Naruko then thought back about Sasuke's past interactions with her, the looks he gave her, the way he talked to her and her alone and not his fangirls who he wouldn't even give them the time of day… and judging by how well her brother judged a person's character — then it all clicked.

A blush slowly crept up Naruko's cheeks as she finally understood her brother's motives; it was all out of jealousy of Sasuke! Then her thoughts whirled towards her brother _actually_ jealous of her interactions with other boys and the slight possibility that he could like her…she shook her head to clear the insane thoughts as she focused her attention back to the fight. After all, in her mind, she would always be the little sister in Naruto's eyes…

"Stop stalling you bastard!" Sasuke shouted as he panted from the exertion, "Fight me like a true shinobi!"

"_True shinobi_?" Naruto parroted, voice amused, as he chuckled lightly, "Sasuke, if I fought you like a true shinobi, you would've probably been dead the moment you charged me." He lectured, ignoring the look of fury on the Uchiha's face.

"That's it!" Sasuke yelled as he pulled out a kunai, ignoring the alarmed shouts of Iruka and the others as he charged, "I'll kill you!"

Naruto sighed as he nodded to Iruka who quickly nodded back with a concerned frown, thus giving the blonde the go-ahead for an all-out spar. Then his calm azure eyes briefly clashed with concerned purple ones of his precious person, eyes which shone with love that was meant only for him and him alone…and he smiled back… before backhanding Sasuke in the face when he tried to jab the kunai into his skull and locking his right arm in a hold, twisting it slightly, making Sasuke cry out in pain as he dropped the kunai he was holding before Naruto kneed his stomach and punched him in the face, making the boy fly back and land on the ground with a painful thud…

Naruko gasped in amazement as she watched the fight. Naruto was completely outclassing Sasuke…

"A-Amazing…" she breathed, with the lavender eyed Hyūga nodding in affirmation.

Sasuke growled as he spat out blood from his mouth, eyes flaring in fury. No way was he letting this dobe steal his rightful place as one of the best! It was time to end this. "I'll kill you for that!" He started making hand signs as he flared his chakra, making Iruka call out in shock.

"No! Sasuke don't!" But it was too late as Sasuke had finished the hand signs as Naruto readied himself for the oncoming attack…

"**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu! (Fire Release: Grand Fireball Jutsu)**" the raven-haired boy cried out before a huge fireball erupted from his mouth, heading quickly for Naruto who made no effort to dodge whatsoever before the fireball impacted where he stood, causing an explosion. Sasuke had a smirk on his lips when he saw his handiwork… he didn't care if he was a fellow shinobi, in his eyes, the blonde male was weak if he couldn't dodge a jutsu like that.

Naruko had tears in her eyes as she tearfully cried out, "ONII-CHAN!" Her cries of anguish made even the coldest of hearts melt as they could hear the sadness and sorrow in her tone, and they couldn't help but feel pity…

Naruko sobbed as tears fell from her eyes, "You…You were supposed to treat me to ramen tonight…then tomorrow…then the day after…" she cried harder as Hinata quickly came over and wrapped her best friend in a hug, whispering comforting words to the blonde beauty's ears as the Hyūga Heiress glared menacingly at the Uchiha. The others were also silent as they stared at the smoking crater where Naruto had been, and back at the still smirking Uchiha…

"Naruto! Damn you Sasuke-teme!" Kiba shouted at the top of his voice, his eyes and glare turning feral as he was furious at what the Uchiha had done to his new friend and rival…

Iruka was also stunned and outraged when he went Sasuke's side. "YOU IDIOT!" he slugged Sasuke across the face, making the boy fall to the ground, "I TOLD YOU BEFORE! NO NINJUTSU OR WEAPONS IN SPARS AGAINST FELLOW SHINOBI! AND NOW LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" Iruka yelled in anger as he glared, "After this, I'm revoking your shinobi license and I'm having you kicked out of the program by Hokage-sama…"

"WHAT!?" Sasuke shouted, indignant. "YOU CAN"T DO THAT!"

"WELL YOU SHOULD'VE THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE YOU KILLED NARUTO!" Iruka shouted, using his head enlargement jutsu for added effect.

He was about to continue further when he heard chuckling from somewhere behind him, and when he turned, his jaw dropped open in shock. "No way…"

Naruko was still crying over her brother's supposed death, when she too heard the chuckling. The rich, deep chuckling that resonated within her entire soul, and she knew it could only belong to one person, and she turned her head along with Hinata to see Naruto, standing there with a smile on his face, without a single singe or burn on his clothes or face… he was completely fine. A relieved smile quickly formed on her lips as she tearfully sobbed into Hinata's beige jacket, who was rubbing her back soothingly…

Sasuke was also in shock but also slight disappointment when he saw him, and he suddenly blurted out, "How did you survive that blast?! I saw you engulfed by my jutsu!" The rest of the class was also looking on with shock and amazement at the supposedly 'dead' Uzumaki Naruto alive and well…

Naruto chuckled as he shook his head in amusement. "How naïve of you Uchiha Sasuke…you'd think a low-rank jutsu like that could kill me? Puh-lease…" Naruto chuckled harder as he held out a scroll in his right hand, "All I had to do was to seal away the chakra of the jutsu with this sealing scroll, and voila, instant free chakra!"

It was a lot more complicated than he sounded. Before the jutsu hit, Naruto had dug into his utilities pouch and pulled out his fūinjutsu supplies and, thinking fast, created a makeshift chakra absorbing seal in the short time he had, and was able to seal away the damaging effects of the jutsu before it took effect. The explosion was just a side effect of the sealing process…

Then, the cheerful expression was gone, replaced by an icy cold demeanor, "And I will overlook this _supposed _attempt on my life, Uchiha-san, and not report you to Hokage-sama to have your license revoked, but I assure you, the next time you try something like this…"

Naruto's icy gaze turned emotionless as he ground out the last words he needed to say, "_I will kill you._"

Sasuke, out of character even for him, nodded as sweat fell from his forehead. For some reason he couldn't comprehend, he seriously believed that the blonde in front of him could carry out the threat, easily and effortlessly, and it was best not to anger the blonde any longer..._yet_.

Not until he can take the blonde's power as his own…

Iruka sighed in relief as he coughed into his fist, gaining everyone's attention after they were snapped out of their awe induced stupor. "Due to Uchiha Sasuke's breaking of the code of conduct during the spar by purposefully intending to harm a fellow shinobi through the use of a lethal C-Rank offensive ninjutsu, Uzumaki Naruto wins the spar by default." He explained with a stern look on his face, earning a chorus of nods as he turned to the brooding Uchiha, his face showing that of disappointment, "And as for you Sasuke, good thing Naruto wasn't harmed or killed during that little display, or you will be court-martialed by the village's shinobi law, and never become a shinobi again. It was also a good thing that Naruto didn't decide to press any charges against you, so you're free to go, but…" Iruka's eyes narrowed as he spoke seriously, "I can't guarantee that you'll be let off if this happens again…even with the council's support," Iruka added when he noticed the Uchiha's smirk, which was lost the moment he said that.

Iruka sighed tiredly, feeling as if he were fifty rather than his age of twenty six, and looked over to his side when he saw Naruto approaching with a calm look on his face.

"Naruto, are you alright?" Iruka asked, before he glared at Sasuke to shush him from making further comments.

Naruto shrugged as he dusted the imaginary dust off his clothes. "I'll live, and since I'm breathing, that's okay right?" he joked lightly, earning a death glare from the Uchiha and a disapproving look from Iruka, both of which he quickly noticed as he smiled sheepishly, "Sorry."

Iruka shook his head as he graded the last of his papers, which were crumpled and torn in several places due to it being caught in the aftermath of the jutsu. Iruka looked up as he turned the clipboard over to give it to Sasuke, who was still glaring at the blonde. Then his disinterested onyx orbs slowly widened before he angrily threw the clipboard to the ground and stomped away. Naruto raised an eyebrow at his future best friend's actions and as he picked up the clipboard, he noticed Iruka's gaze on him as he read through his grades… and actually dropped it again when Naruko and her friends slowly approached them, some still shaken up by the past minutes' events.

Iruka chuckled, weariness clear in his tone. "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" he joked, making Naruto look up at him in shock.

"B-But Iruka-sensei!" he began, eyes not believing what they were seeing, as the rest of the class that stayed behind remained confused, "These can't be my points! I mean… I didn't actually do anything…" he said the last part in a light whisper so that only he could hear. The class was still confused about the blonde's reaction to his points, and they were wondering if he did well enough to pass…and judging by the spars earlier, he would've passed with flying colors.

"Yes, Naruto," Iruka picked up the clipboard again and skimmed through it once more, "You've scored higher than any of the Genin we tested thus far in the history of Konoha, on par with that of Uchiha Itachi and Hatake Kakashi…" he explained, causing the whole class to gasp in shock and a little intimidated. The names Uchiha Itachi and Hatake Kakashi had been synonymous to a prodigy in the shinobi arts in Konoha, as one was the name of the traitor that murdered the Uchiha Clan in one night, and the other was a renowned shinobi infamous for his moniker of 'Sharingan no Kakashi', the Copy Ninja. If one were to be on par with such legendary figures, they were in a class of their own…and Naruto was proving to be one of them.

Iruka looked at the blonde boy with a fond smile, the same one the man wore back in his time when he was proud of what his favorite student did, and it made Naruto tear up slightly on the inside. "Congratulations Naruto, you are officially a Genin!"

Naruto grinned as he pumped his fists. "Alright! Thanks a bunch sensei." He said.

"Don't mention it… now it's time to get back to class; the Jōnin are waiting…" Iruka said as he clapped his hands together to gather everyone's attention and they began shuffling back into the building. Naruto sighed once as he made his way towards the door, only to stop when he remembered something; the look of pure anguish and terror on her face just before the jutsu engulfed him…

He immediately whirled around to go look for her, before he was suddenly enveloped in a tight embrace, the familiar scent of roses and vanilla filling his senses as he smiled sadly and hugged the lithe form back, already feeling his clothes starting to soak with tears as Naruko bawled her eyes out in his chest. He rubbed her back soothingly as he whispered comforting words into her ear, making her tense form relax, but she was still trembling and was still sobbing lightly.

Naruko sniffed as she hoarsely said, "I-I… t-thought I lost you…" she stuttered fearfully, "When I saw the flames…and the explosion…I was so scared Onii-chan…I thought you were dead, and I was left alone again…" She finished with a muffled sob as she buried her face deeper into his shirt, her grip strong as if afraid he would disappear if she let go, and making Naruto feel guiltier than ever for pulling his stunt on the Uchiha, "I didn't know what to do…"

Naruto sighed as he hugged her back tighter, and gently ran his hands through her silky blonde hair. "I'm so sorry Naruko-chan…" he apologized sincerely; regret filling his voice, "I was stupid. I wasn't thinking straight when I fought Sasuke…" he confessed as he continued to gently comb her hair, Naruko closing her eyes I bliss at his ministrations, "I put myself in harm's way on purpose just to show off my fūinjutsu skills…" he paused as he gnawed at his lower lip, "I am so sorry for scaring you like that Naruko-chan…"

"You better," Naruko said with a sniff, pulling back so she can look into his azure orbs, violet eyes pleading, "Promise me, onii-chan… no matter what happens…you will never leave me alone ever again…" she pleaded as she placed her forehead on his own, her shorter height making it so that she would have to raise her feet slightly to do so, desperately fighting down her blush that threatened to form on her face, "Promise me, onii-chan…"

"I promise," Naruto replied without hesitation with a serious look as he fought the urge not to blush at their close proximity, "That's my promise of a lifetime to you…"

Throughout his life whole life, both old and new, he had only made two promises of that kind to two different people only; one of them was to himself for promising to uphold his nindō, no matter the consequences; the second was to his teammate and former crush Sakura, who he promised to bring Sasuke back when he left Konoha in search of Orochimaru. And now, he was making his third – and possibly most precious – promise to the one person he would gladly give up his own life to protect.

Naruko smiled tearfully as she hugged him again, "Thank you," she whispered, "You don't know how much that means to me…"

"I know…" Naruto replied as he led her through the doorway leading into the Academy, "More than you know…"

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

Once the class had settled down from the excitement of seeing Naruto's skill firsthand and quietly and adamantly chatting away with each other, with a few girls shooting glances once in a while at the blonde boy, Iruka coughed once, gaining their attention as he gestured towards the doorway at the front of the classroom, where several men and women in Jōnin garb were waiting expectantly.

"Alright class, your Jōnin senseis will see to you now. Go with your assigned teams, and most importantly… good luck!" Iruka encouraged them, receiving a chorus of cheers from the newly minted students as the Jōnin quickly came in and called out their teams.

Naruto sighed in amusement as he wrapped an arm around his imōto's shoulders, the poor girl still stricken by the event a moment ago. He could've sworn if he were to move now, he would've certainly dragged Naruko along with him due to the death grip she had on his jacket, eliciting a chuckle of amusement from him. The Jinchuriki of Kurama looked around as he saw his peers being led out the door one by one, knowing that most if not all of them would not even pass the second exam…

Then his eyes fell on a familiar shade of raven black hair and Naruto had to once again resist the urge to sigh in frustration when the other boy glared at him from his seat near the window. Ever since he had one upped the Uchiha during the spar, the self-proclaimed avenger had been busy brooding by himself at his usual seat, with the ever vigilant Sakura right beside him trying to pester a response or better yet a date from him. Naruto had forgotten how annoying his former crush and teammate had been before he had went on that training trip with Jiraiya, and he could clearly see history repeat itself right before his eyes.

He would've wanted to do something about it, but wouldn't dare risk shifting the timeline too much and throw his chances of defeating Kaguya out the window. For now, he would just wait and see…his presence here had already altered some things in the timeline already, and that had the blonde worried…

"Team Eight?" a dark haired woman with piercing red eyes and wearing clothes that looked like they were made of bandages said, and Kiba, Hinata and Shino took their cue, "Follow me." The trio walked after the woman, who Naruto presumed to be Yūhi Kurenai, and saw Naruko exchanging waves with the Hyūga Heiress and Naruto himself exchanging nods with the other male members of her team before they went out.

Another Jōnin, this time a man, who was sporting a goatee and beard while smoking a cancer stick in his mouth walked in sporting standard Jōnin garb with the exception of a triangular waist cloth that held the kanji of 'fire' on it. The man called for Team Ten and Shikamaru muttered a silent, "Troublesome." before following after Ino and Chōji, the former literally dragging the lazy Nara all the way, making the Uzumaki siblings laugh. It was a miracle that the lazy genius had even bothered to pass his test and became a shinobi, when he would prefer to go cloud watching all day long…

Naruto groaned as he remembered something. If he hadn't messed up the timeline, then there was a high chance that Team Seven would end up with the same sensei…and he knew they still have another three hours to wait, if memory served him right.

Naruto perked up slightly as he smiled at Naruko, making the blonde beauty look up at him with cute curiosity. "Say, it's almost lunchtime now Naru-chan…" the girl blushed at his new pet name for her but still listened, "Why don't we go to Ichiraku's? Since I don't have that much money…I'll ask Teuchi-oji if it's alright with him to put it on my tab…" he said cheekily while scratching his cheek and the girl in his arms perked up at the mention of her favorite dish in the world.

Less than a heartbeat later, Naruko was pulling her brother out the door faster than he could say "Goodbye." to Iruka before disappearing around the corner, leaving behind an amused teacher and two confused preteens.

Sakura scowled as she was confused by the two blondes' actions, and it made her curious, "Where are they going at this time? Aren't we supposed to be meeting up with our new sensei?" she asked in her usual haughty tone which elicited a sigh from Iruka and a scoff from Sasuke.

"Well it seems they both had got the right idea to take their lunch first before meeting your new sensei," Iruka said with a knowing grin, making the two Genin looked confused, Sasuke's more subdued than Sakura's, "And if they've done their research, your Jōnin sensei's tardiness is as legendary as his reputation…" And with that, Iruka packed up his things and left, leaving the two alone.

Sakura fidgeted as she slowly turned around to face Sasuke who was still staring out the window, "Ano, if it's not much of a trouble for you…how about we have lunch together, to get to know each other better?" she asked with a small blush.

The raven haired avenger turned to look disinterested at her before he scoffed audibly, standing up and brushing her off as he made his way out of the building, the pink-haired girl gaining a disheartened look on her face as she diligently trailed behind her crush…and silently at the back of her mind… she wished that she had a brother as cool and good-looking as Naruko's own…

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

**And that's a wrap people!**

**Leave a review people! I always love it when you guys reviewed. Constructive criticism is welcome, but flamers will be outright ignored…**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE. **

**HEIROFROHAN signing off**

**PEACE!**


	5. Revelations Part One

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Five: Revelations Part One**

* * *

Naruto looked on fondly at his sister as he watched her slurp up her vegetable ramen eagerly with a chuckle, earning a cute blush from her in return before she continued to eat. Deciding that he should do the same, Naruto ate his ramen at a slightly more sedate pace than usual.

The Uzumaki siblings were currently at their favorite ramen stand having their lunch much to the Ichiraku father and daughter duo's joy to kill the time they needed to wait for their sensei…although Naruto preferred to train rather than doing nothing…but he held himself back and soldiered on, all for the sake of his sister's happiness who was enjoying herself immensely, mostly because she was spending more quality alone time with her precious brother. As he watched Naruko eat out of the corner of his eyes, his mind contemplated on the matter involving both her and his own mission to the past…

Naruto knew he had to tell Naruko the truth about himself and her real parents soon, and frankly, he was very anxious and nervous…not even facing Kaguya or Madara back during the war had never unnerved him; but the mere thought of seeing Naruko's reaction to the news scared him to the core, and he was afraid of the kind of reaction she would give once she heard the full truth…

Kurama, no longer the cruel and hatred-consumed Bijū he once was, clearly sensed his inner turmoil as the fox flooded Naruto's chakra coils once more with his soothing Yang chakra, making the blonde send a mental note of thanks in return. Naruto was broken out of his musings when he noticed that his own bowl of miso ramen was already empty. He blinked, slightly baffled that he hadn't noticed it, before mentally berating himself…had he been worried that much about her sister's reaction? Personal feelings and problems aside, there was also the fact on whether he should reveal all of his abilities during the upcoming test that was sure to come. After a minute of silent thinking, Naruto thought it best not to reveal most of his abilities to his other teammates…_yet_. In due time yes, but not right now.

However, Naruto wouldn't hold back against his Jōnin sensei, and was prepared to fight the man seriously when the time came…that he was sure of.

"Onii-chan, I'm finished." the sudden voice of Naruko drew his attention as he turned to face her; Naruto couldn't get enough of her calling him that.

Naruto looked at the five stacked bowls in front of the girl as compared to his four, and his pride as a ramen lover took a blow as she ate more than he did last night, and it was filled with vegetables too! Don't get him wrong, Naruto held no ill-will towards vegetables, even though he hated them with a passion when he was younger. After Yamato-taichō had drilled it into his head about the importance of eating greens, Naruto had developed a healthy respect and liking to the plants, and had always included a side dish of green leafiness for his every meal…

Naruto smiled as he patted the girl on the head, making her blush. "That's good Naru-chan," he stated as he chuckled, "You're becoming an even better ramen eater than me, and that's saying something!" he finished with a laugh, the blonde girl joining soon after with her own. It was true; the night when Naruko had _reintroduced_ her brother to the wonders of ramen, he had broken her record of_ fifteen_ straight bowls with a slim lead of only _three_ bowls! Even old man Teuchi was awestruck by the amount of ramen and broth the blonde male stomached that night…

Naruko giggled as she smiled in remembrance. "I know! I can't believe that you broke my record!" she complained with a cute pout, "And I was going for my sixteenth bowl too when you went and broke it by leading with two bowls…"

Naruto smiled. "Well, I have been denied ramen for months during my travels, so you couldn't blame me for eating that much…"

Naruko giggled once more as she hugged one of his arms, consciously squishing it between her developing chests, smirking when she saw him blush lightly. Seeing his blush was already a victory in Naruko's mind as she mentally pumped her fists. She had taken her first step at getting her brother to notice her as more than his sister, which unknown to her… Naruto had already noticed her and had embarrassedly accepted the fact that he had a _huge_ crush on his own sister…though he did his best to hide it from her, which was not going too well at the moment. Both blondes had a similar thought in mind: they didn't care what other people would say about their _inappropriate_ relationship, so long as they had each other, they wouldn't care less…

During their little cuddling session, they didn't notice Teuchi grinning in the kitchen and Ayame gushing silently behind the counter…the both them had already noticed the unusual closeness between the two new siblings, as they acted more like lovers than actual blood-relatives. Ayame was mentally daydreaming about how the two Uzumakis would look like in the future as a couple, and she squealed silently as she thought that of two of them together, even if they were blood-related, to be utterly cute! Teuchi was thinking along the same lines and was already thinking of ways to make sure that the young boy treated Naruko like she should have been treated…

Moments passed before Naruto told Teuchi to put it on his tab, which the man happily waved it off saying that it was on the house which the blonde greatly appreciated…before he and Naruko went out of the establishment to head towards somewhere quiet. Seeing as they still had an hour or so left before they had to return, Naruto suddenly stopped in the middle of the road and Naruko turned to look at her brother in confusion, and was about to ask what was wrong before she squealed in surprise when Naruto suddenly picked her up in his arms, her arms instinctively wrapping themselves around the handsome boy's neck, holding him close to her as a tomato red blush flared on her cheeks.

Naruko's mind was whirling as she mentally chanted in her mind, _'I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming…'_ and she was praying to whoever that was watching over her to not let her moment with Naruto end, as it felt too good to be true. It was only yesterday when she had met the handsome blonde boy, and back then he had already been considered attractive…but then he had surprised when he adopted her as his sister for which she was forever grateful, loved ramen as much as she did, well-mannered and gentlemanly and also a talented shinobi…to very definitions of a teenaged heartthrob. Naruko thanked the heavens that he had not enrolled in the Academy sooner, as she had no doubt she would have competition in competing for his attention…but none of those things mattered right now as she was being held in the arms of Naruto, which made her feel safe and secure…

Naruko looked up at the grinning blonde male, who himself was sporting a small blush. "O-Onii-chan?"

"Naruko-chan," he said seriously, making Naruko tilt her head in confusion as she attempted to snuggle deeper into his chest when she saw the villagers staring at them with stunned and disbelieved looks, obviously not used to seeing their blonde princess being carried around in the arms of a handsome stranger, "I need to tell you something… It's important."

Sensing that his tone was serious, and the pleading look in his azure eyes making her question die in her throat. Naruko nodded with the blush still adorned on her cheeks. "Alright, onii-chan…where should we go?"

Instead of giving her a verbal answer, Naruto just smiled as he flared his chakra slightly before the whole world seemed to shift, as if they were standing still and only the world was moving around them, and it happened so fast too! When she finally got her bearings, a slight breeze confirmed her thoughts that Naruto had brought them to the top of the Hokage Monument; one of her favorite places in the village.

Naruko was giddy as she practically bounced in Naruto's hold, "Sugoi! What was that?!" she asked excitedly, earning a chuckle from the boy, "Can you teach me that someday?"

Naruto nodded with a smile. "Sure, it's a family heirloom after all . . . and you're part of the family, remember?"

Naruko nodded with a bright smile as Naruto set her down on her feet. Naruto turned a looked down at the village below, sighing contently as he sat cross-legged on the ground, and he patted the space next to him.

"Come here Naruko-chan…" he said with a smile, and Naruko knew at first glance that it was a fake; after being around him since the day before, she had already known a lot about her brother, both emotionally and mentally. Naruko noticed that well-hidden shadow of pain and sorrow behind his cerulean eyes, and the fake smile that accompanied it when she asked what was wrong and he waved it off as nothing important…much like how she had used to do when the villagers still resented her. The only times Naruko had seen her brother truly happy were the times he was spending around her, and for some reason, it made her feel wanted and loved at knowing that her mere presence was keeping him happy…

But she had to know what was bothering her precious person so much for him to adopt a mask…and it hurt her slightly when he also used it around her…

Naruko sat down beside him gracefully and looked him straight in the eye, expression serious and she bluntly asked. "Alright, onii-chan, cut the act," her sudden outburst jolted the blonde boy who was shocked, and her expression softened, "Why are you wearing that mask onii-chan? And don't you dare tell me that you're not using it! Dattebane!" she clarified adamantly when Naruto opened his mouth to speak, only to close it again as he looked down at his hands, her use of her verbal-tic forgotten.

Naruto smiled sadly. That was the tone Kushina would give him whenever she caught that he was lying or not telling the full truth, along with the verbal-tic she used when she was agitated or excited…Naruko was the spitting image of their red headed mother; beautiful, caring, strong and intelligent…both Naruto and her inherited their legendary stubbornness and determination from their father. He knew his jig was up when he saw it, and this was the moment of truth, even if he would be hurt by the end of the upcoming talk, he could deal with it…or so he told himself.

Naruto sighed as he smiled in melancholy at her, making her eyes widen at the pain and sorrow that was filled in them, and Naruko resisted the urge to hug him right then and there…

"Naruko-chan…" he began, making her pay attention to his words, "I'm sorry…" Naruko's eyes widened at his words, what was he apologizing for?

Naruto took a deep breath as he calmed himself down. "I…I was not entirely truthful with you …" Naruko tilted her head in confusion as she held his hand reassuringly, signifying that it was okay. "It's about time I told you the truth…" he took a deep breath again, and dropped the bomb, "I am your biological sibling…from another dimension."

After he said that, everything went quiet as only the breeze of the wind fluttering their clothes were heard as the Uzumakis enjoyed the silence that settled between them, both their emotions stirring in chaos after the revelation. Naruto wondered if this was how many people felt when they were about to lose their closest people, total anguish and sorrow. He then remembered what he was about to reveal was an SS-Rank village secret, and was punishable by death, so Naruto set about performing a few hand signs before slamming his hand on the ground, muttering, "**Uzumaki Fūinjutsu: Chinmoku Fūin (Uzumaki Sealing Art: Silence Seal)**"

A string of symbols and lines expanded from where his hand was and continued to expand before they stopped and formed a translucent dome around the two and the lines glowed blue once before fading. From the inside, it seemed like nothing had changed apart from the glowing kanji for 'seal' on the ground where Naruto's hand had been; but from the outside, it was a totally different story as the dome acted like a two-way mirror, blocking outsiders from hearing or seeing or sensing them through the dome while allowing the caster and the dome's occupants to see outside…

After a few more moments, Naruko finally spoke up, as she looked up into Naruto's eyes with freely flowing tears, causing the boy's heart to break. He hated seeing her cry, especially since it was him who caused her to cry….

"W-What…H-How…?" she breathed out while holding back sobs, and Naruto couldn't help but die a little more inside as he watched his sister break down in front of him…

Naruto sighed again as he adjusted his sitting position. "Let me explain it to you…then you can decide what you want to do, okay?" he offered as he gently stroked her long blonde hair, making her calm down a bit, and she nodded, making the boy smile sadly. "This is going to take a while…"

And for the next half an hour, Naruto explained everything, starting from his childhood and his status as a Jinchuriki, then to where he was from originally, to the Fourth Shinobi World War, his meeting with Kami, and his mission to the past and clearing things with the Sandaime, pausing a few times to catch his breath or answering Naruko's questions, but most of the time just remained as quiet as possible with a blank expression, which worried Naruto to no end. After that, a comfortable silence fell over the two of them as they enjoyed the peace the silence had given them as to calm their minds from the recent tension Naruto's revelation had caused, and he was scared that he was losing his family all over again…

Naruko's mind was racing as she processed the new information. To be told by the person she now considered one of her closest people that he was from another dimension, had the same blood flowing through their veins, being told about the end of the world and meeting a deity that only existed in myths? If it were anyone other than Naruto, Naruko would've told them off and called them insane…but the way Naruto explained it, without a sense of deceit or doubt, was enough to make her believe in him all the more…and when she looked up to see Naruto's disheartened expression, eyes downcast as signs of wetness seeped in them, Naruko knew that he was worried about her rejecting him for deceiving her…

A moment later, seeing that Naruko was showing no reaction with her hair shadowing her features, Naruto was about to stand up to give the girl some privacy before he was tackled into a loving hug from said girl, leaving him stunned and unable to move. Then the sound of crying was heard before Naruto looked down to see his sister crying into his chest, as her arms circled his neck while his own instinctively hugging her back, holding her close to him as the feeling of self-doubt and loathing came back in force, even with Kurama trying to flood his chakra coils with Yang chakra.

Naruto was snapped out of his internal self-loathing when Naruko looked up at him with tear-streaked violet eyes that he loved so much, which were red and puffy due to the crying. Naruto closed his eyes, letting his own tears loose and was about to say something before Naruko beat him to it.

"Don't…onii-chan…" she pleaded, making him look at her in shock and bewilderment, "Despite what you think…and I know that you're thinking about it right now…I could _never_ hate you…you mean too much to me for me to do that…" she whispered, making Naruto widen his eyes in shock once again, not believing that Naruko's guess had been right on the spot.

Naruko sniffed as she snuggled into his chest, inhaling his calming scent as she did. "Even though I only met you yesterday, but ever since then…were some of the happiest days of my life…" she admitted, making Naruto's gaze soften as his inner loathing died down, ignoring the sigh of relief from a certain Bijū. "You gave me friendship…gave me hope…gave me a family…and above all else…" she then pulled back and looked directly into his stunned azure eyes, eyes showing compassion and warmth, "…you gave me love. Love that I've always dreamed of…"

"Naruko-chan…" Naruto whispered as a few more tears slid down his cheeks as he smiled a genuine smile. Not the big goofy one, nor the one that was _almost_ strenuous to maintain in front of his friends again, but a true, happy smile…one he hadn't worn since coming back to the past, known only to himself, Kurama, and surprisingly…the beautiful angel in his arms. She was his sister, his mirror image, his twin, his best friend and doppelganger all rolled into one…and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Calming himself down after that emotional moment, Naruto thanked his sister once more before pulling back with a huge smile on his face, making the blonde girl smile in return as their slowly strengthening bond between brother and sister that had been building up since the day Naruto had adopted Naruko as his sister, was bolstered by leaps and bounds. That and the fact that both Uzumakis knew now more than ever, that they could trust in each other without question nor doubt till the day they die…

"Naruko-chan," Naruto said, gaining Naruko's attention as she shifted in the boy's arms to look up at him, not caring that their faces were only inches apart from each other and both siblings had to suppress to urge to blush in embarrassment, the latter even more so than the former.

Gaining her blush and heart rate back down under control, Naruko tilted her head curiously, asking the boy to go ahead.

Naruto's face became serious and he sat up straighter. "How much do you know about the Kyūbi?" he asked bluntly, making the girl in his arms tense up and shake as her eyes widen slightly in fear, a reaction he was very much expecting. Her eyes drooped down in sadness when she remembered the day that the Hokage told her about the demon fox and the reason behind the villager's actions towards her during her early years, and also Mizuki's undisguised hatred for her two nights ago...

"The Yondaime Hokage defeated and killed the Kyūbi at the cost of his own life almost twelve years ago, thus protecting the village…" Naruko answered sadly as she tightened her grip on Naruto's jacket as tears slowly filled her eyes once more, memories of the past suddenly flashing before her and thankful of her own luck that she was spared when the villager's finally looked beyond their views of her being the demon itself, and was welcomed back into the village with open arms. That was one of the happiest memories of her life…

Naruko sniffed as she continued, "But…a creature of pure chakra like the Bijū cannot be killed by a human through normal means, contrasting with what the official story claimed…" Naruto nodded in affirmation as he rubbed the girl's back soothingly, calming her down from the raging emotions he sensed within her, "So, the Yondaime did the only thing he could do…he sacrificed his life to seal the great creature into a human host… or more specifically," Naruko's eyes drooped lower as tears fell, "Me."

Naruto nodded once more while holding the girl in an embrace, never letting go as to provide a sense of comfort and warmth to the girl. "I know Naruko-chan…I was the same as you remember?" Seeing her nod meekly as she sniffed, Naruto sighed as he smiled, tilting her face upwards by lifting her chin with his hand while he affectionately wiped the tears away with caroused thumbs, "But…despite what everyone thought…the Kyūbi was actually quite misunderstood…" Naruto explained, not prepared in the slightest when the sad girl in his arms suddenly shot up like a bullet, her face showing shock and confusion at what she just heard.

_'__He can't be serious right?! How can the demon be misunderstood when it killed innocent lives without care in the world all those years ago?!' _Naruko thought in anger and confusion, trying to see where her brother was coming from. She was about to open her mouth to speak again… when Naruto suddenly placed his left palm on her chest, and Naruko was about to shove his hand away and squeal in embarrassment as he had violated her personal space, not that she _actually_ minded but rather acted on reflex, right before his right index finger touched her forehead and her world abruptly went black…

* * *

Naruko opened her eyes and was expecting to see the white ceiling of the hospital or the sleeping face of Naruto right beside her, and was wondering how she fell asleep before realization hit her as she found herself not on the Hokage Monument anymore with Naruto, but in a dark, dimly lit sewer like tunnel with her legs ankle-deep in water. Naruko's eyes roamed the unfamiliar space in confusion before pausing, she gasped as fear suddenly coursed through her…

In front of her was a massive steel gate that was held together by a small seal paper that was marked with the kanji for 'Seal' on it. It didn't take a genius to know that this was the domain of her consciousness…and she had a very accurate idea of whom or rather _what_ that was lurking behind the ominous looking steel bars right now…and she whimpered slightly as she slowly backed away in fear when a single slitted blood red eye opened, glowing clearly in the darkness of the tunnel.

A deep, rumbling chuckle echoed throughout the tunnel which came from behind the bars, as if the air around Naruko was visibly vibrating and shaking at the sound which caused ripples to form in the water. Taking several more steps backwards in fear, Naruko was about to turn and get as far away from the cage as possible when the same voice spoke through the confines of the damp sewer.

**"****Greetings, young one, you're finally here…at last." **the booming voice said curtly and Naruko froze as she found herself unable to move due to her fear, the ominous way the voice said it sent cold shivers up her spine; it was as if the voice commanded her to stay, and she trembled slightly as she tried to force her legs and body to move. Never before had Naruko been so scared for her life since the villager's last beating which nearly killed her, even then she had her caretaker taking care of her and the Hokage's protection…but right now, she had neither of those. Whatever being that was speaking to her, she was at its complete mercy.

"W-Who…who a-are you?" Naruko stuttered out as she hugged herself to keep from trembling like a leaf. She was a kunoichi damn it! Why was she so afraid and felt so intimidated by the unknown?

The voice chuckled once more as the glowing crimson eye shifted to reveal another identical eye, both staring directly at her through the darkness of the cage as if they were judging her worth and gazing at her very soul. Naruko squirmed under the intense gaze as she hoped Naruto was here with her now to calm her down.

**"****Who am I, you ask?" **the being asked with amusement in his voice and Naruko heard the water shift inside the cage making her eyes widen in fear, **"I go by many names for the past millennia child…but most humans would know me best by my title, the Kyūbi no Kitsune." **As soon as those words were said, the being stepped into Naruko's line of sight, and she had to force herself not to scream in utter terror. Standing before her in the cage, was the greatest of the nine Bijū in all his glory, its nine tails swishing behind him slowly.

The Kyūbi grinned, his sharp canines coming into view purposely to intimidate the poor girl further as she had fallen on her knees while shaking in fright, violet eyes gazing in a mixture of fright and confusion.

Naruko was scared, and rightfully so when she met the being responsible for the deaths of thousands twelve years ago. She had heard the tales, the stories and the rumors, but none of them prepared her for meeting the real thing in person. Then, fear turned to anger as she thought back on the countless lives that were lost and her own miserable childhood before her caretaker took her in, and those thoughts alone banished all signs of fear and nervousness from the blonde girl as she stood up, eyes glaring angrily at the fox who merely grinned further and Naruko wanted the fox to have a piece of her mind, whether it liked it or not.

The Kyūbi shook his in amusement, wanting to test the girl further, **"Such a weak container I have been sealed in, it's degrading really…how am I supposed to show the world the might of being my container when you are such a weakling…"** he remarked with a feral smirk, his old personality as the cruel and unforgiving demon fox shining through once more and was about to continue when a _huge_ amount of killing intent filled the room, and Kyūbi actually was surprised when he sensed that they were coming off from the blonde girl in front of the cage…

"Now listen here you damn Kitsune! I don't care what you think of me or anybody for that matter!" Naruto shouted with hatred in her voice and her hair waved wildly behind her like a flame which actually made her look even more intimidating and it impressed the fox, "But know this! I will _never _forgive you for attacking the village and killing its citizens and robbing it of its Hokage! If I ever hear you yapping about this or goading me in trying to break the seal, I'll make you pay for it! Dattebane!"

Naruko was expecting a retort of some kind or a snarl or a cry of outrage at her outburst which she felt that the damn fox needed to hear, and was very confused when the fox chuckled as it sighed with a kind smile on its snout, making the girl look up in suspicion and confusion.

"What are you smiling about…?" Naruko asked before the sound of clapping and a familiar and warm presence stopped her from continuing. Naruko turned and to her utter disbelief, she was greeted by the sight of Naruto in his usual attire, clapping at her with a smile.

Naruto clapped once more as he grinned. "Not bad Naruko-chan, you're far more gutsy and cunning than you claimed to be."

Naruko would've blushed at his praise if not for the confusing situation she was in, or how Naruto got in to her mindscape I the first place. "Naruto-kun…" she blushed at her sudden change in suffix, but disregarded it as she continued, "What's going on?"

Naruto chuckled, not minding the change in suffix as he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry Naruko-chan…I kinda, you know, tested you to see your resolve for myself?" he offered awkwardly, making the blonde girl widen her eyes in surprise and slight annoyance.

"You mean that…all that trash talk and belittling…was just a test?" Naruko asked disbelievingly and Naruto nodded.

Naruto turned to look up at the grinning Nine-Tails as he sighed. "But still, it would've worked out better if furball here would cooperate and try for once _not_ to intimidate everyone he met for the first time…"

Kyūbi laughed. **"And waste my chances seeing them squirm and sometimes scream hysterically like babies when seeing my true form? Now where's the fun in that?" **he inquired mischievously, making the blonde boy shake his head in amusement and Naruko to gawk at him.

"Sometimes I don't know why I even bother with you nii-san…" Naruto replied.

Naruko looked shocked as she heard her brother say that the Kyūbi was his brother. "H-He's your brother?!" she asked in astonishment.

Naruto nodded with a smile. "Surrogate brother, but yeah…ever since I was almost killed by Madara."

The blonde girl looked back up at the grinning fox, and couldn't help but still feel a little anger left in her conscience. "I don't know…how can I be sure that he won't harm anyone any longer?" she asked suspiciously, making Naruto sigh as he had expected the girl to be skeptical from the beginning given how her life until now was miserable until the villagers looked past her as the Kyūbi itself and more of a person, and Naruto was sure if the villagers hadn't turned out that way, the girl's animosity towards the great fox would be even greater…

Naruto walked forward until he was directly in front of the massive gate and he looked up at the sealing paper. "Now, to get that paper off…" he muttered.

Naruko looked anxious as she rushed to her brother, holding him in place. "No!" she cried, "You don't know what will happen if…if…" she looked back at the fox that was showing a sad and guilty expression on its features, which made her rethink her stance that the fox was an evil being…

Naruto chuckled as he turned around and embraced the girl, startling her as she blushed. "Don't worry imōto; he won't hurt you or me. He's not that kind of fox anymore…" he assured her while gently running his hands through her hair.

Naruko was still unconvinced as she reluctantly pulled away from him. "How can you be so sure? If anything he could be using you…" Naruto sighed sadly and looked at her silently with a guilty expression as her pessimism was getting the better of her, "On top of that, how did you get here? We're in _my_ mindscape and how or when did the Kyūbi become your brother?! If anything, how is it that the beast seems to know you if you only met him once?!" she asked – shouted really – bluntly, earning a slight frown from Naruto and a sad one from the Kyūbi. They had planned to break it to her slowly and gently, but the situation had changed drastically in a matter of minutes and they had no choice but to tell her the full truth.

Naruto sighed and looked at her apologetically feeling guilty at what he was about to do to her. "Naruko-chan…" he started going through hand signs rapidly, "For what it's worth…I'm sorry." Without warning, he quickly placed his hand on Naruko's head, catching the girl off guard and unable to react to the sudden contact. "**Uzumaki Fūinjutsu: Memory Viewing Technique.**" he muttered, before the girl's purple eyes glazed over as her mind was assaulted by a huge wave of memories; Naruto's memories to be precise…

_Starting with his childhood, where he was ignored and shunned by the rest of the villagers…_

_His first Genin test and the subsequent three failures due to his inability to do a Bunshin…_

_The night when he stole the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing's and Mizuki's harsh pounding by his hands to protect Iruka…_

_His first Genin team and the missions they went together…_

_The Suna-Oto Invasion and the death of the Sandaime…_

_Finding Tsunade and the Sasuke Retrieval Mission and their fight at the Valley of the End…_

_The three year training trip with Jiraiya and their return to the village…_

_His encounters with the Akatsuki and the destruction of Konoha at the hands of Pein…_

_The village's recognition of Naruto's heroic deeds and the Five Kage Summit…_

_Kurama's redemption and his vow to protect Naruto till the end of time…_

_The Fourth Shinobi World War and Madara's successful revival of the Jūbi…and Kaguya's resurrection…_

Then, it all stopped. Naruto pulled his hand away as Naruko blinked, shaking her aching head, cradling it with her hands as she tried to process the information given to her to make some sort of sense with it. From what Naruko could tell, the blonde boy had basically been through hell and back, and became stronger because of it. Her new brother had faced hardships that normally would've broken normal people, including herself, and heaped onto his already heavy emotional load was his mission to destroy Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, the _Usagi no Megami (Rabbit Goddess) _herself…no one deserved a life like that, and in Naruko's mind, especially _not_ her most precious person that only wanted for her to be happy that was standing right in front of her, his expression only that of worry for her.

Naruko had lost count of the number of times she had spilled her tears on this day, both in the real world and in her mindscape. But she didn't care in the slightest, as she cried once more in sadness and sorrow, not for her, but for Naruto, whose will and determination in all his life had remained unbroken till this day…and she felt her love grow for him even more. She knew this wasn't an illusion or a Genjutsu, and was finally convinced that her brother came from another realm, no matter how outrageous that was…

Naruto wasn't prepared when he was glomped by the blonde girl, and he had to steady himself as to not lose his balance. Glancing downward, Naruto saw his sister's face snuggled into his chest, causing him to smile in relief as he sensed her confusion and sadness slowly subside. Naruto looked up at the Kyūbi, who by now had lain on its front paws eyeing the scene with warmth. Kurama had forgotten what having a family felt like ever since Hagoromo passed on, but seeing the two 'twins' getting along so well with one another made him feel nostalgic…

"Onii-chan…" Naruko said softly into his chest, her mind replaying Naruto's memories again, "I'm sorry…I didn't know…please, forgive me…" Naruko widened her eyes as she felt Naruto's strong arms hold onto her sides, making her look into his azure seas…

"There's nothing to forgive, Naruko-chan." Naruto stated with a grin, "Besides, I have _you_ now, so I won't be alone anymore right?" He laughed heartily and slowly Naruko herself joined in the laughter. The simple sound echoed throughout the mindscape, all their frustrations and insecurities were washed out like a tide and they relaxed as if an invisible weight had been taken off their shoulders…

Naruko giggled and smiled cutely. "You bet onii-chan! I'll be the best little sister that you can ever have! And that means you too you big furball!" she waved at the giant fox, who smiled back in gratitude and nodded.

**"****Thank you little vixen," **Kurama replied ignoring the furball comment, making Naruko smile even brighter than before. After coming to terms with the startling revelations Naruto had showed her with his own memories, she felt more at ease with her current predicament and was more willing to accept the great Bijū as her other new big brother, chakra being or otherwise. In her mind, the more precious people that came into her life, the better.

"You're welcome Kyū…" she started to say, before Naruto cut her off.

"It's Kurama imōto, his name is Kurama; Kyūbi is just a title." Naruto explained with a grin and Naruko nodded in acceptance, while said fox mockingly glared at him through the metal bars.

**"****Oh I'm sorry, did you not think I was capable enough to introduce myself personally to the little vixen, otōto?" **Kurama sarcastically asked with a fake scowl as Naruko giggled behind her hand, enjoying the sudden bickering between the two.

Naruto laughed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry…bad habit of mine, but I'm trying to control it though!" he stated.

Kurama sighed and chuckled amusedly at the blonde boy's antics as Naruko just giggled harder. **"But you're still that dense idiot I know and love…"**

"Oi!"

Naruko couldn't take it anymore as she laughed at their small argument; a friendly argument between brothers and best friends. Most arguments she got into when she grew up in the Academy were always caused by petty motives and childish insults, and the only proper argument Naruko got into was when Hinata wanted to dye her hair blonde just like her…and Naruko had stated rather vehemently that she would rather die than to let that happen!

Naruto looked over at her sister who was still coming down from her laughing with a warm smile before calling her attention. "Hey Naruko-chan!" he called.

Naruko quickly calmed down and walked over to him, expression curious. "What is it onii-chan?" she asked with a tilt of her head, making her look even cuter in Naruto's eyes.

Naruto paused a bit, biting his lowed lips nervously which Naruko noticed as she took his hand into hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"There are some things that I left out when I showed you my memories…" Naruto began as Naruko stayed silent and listened, "many things actually, as I need to keep the future as close to the original as possible as to not tip off that plant bastard…" Naruko nodded as his memories had shown her of the evil scheming entity that was actually the will of the Kaguya, and couldn't help but nod her head in agreement. "However…seeing that you're the only person besides Hokage-Jiji that I can fully trust…" Naruto smiled with a slight blush dusting her cheeks as her heart swelled at being called important by her secret crush, "I'll tell you now…it's about your," Naruto paused, before finishing, "…_our_ parents."

Naruko widened her eyes as she staggered slightly in shock. Her parents! _Their _parents! She was going to know who her parents were! Multiple thoughts swirled in her head as Naruko went through the possibilities and outcomes of such a revelation, and she suddenly felt scared and insecure. Naruko feared only one thing in her young life, and it was finding out if her parents truly loved her or hated her like the rest of the bigoted villagers' years ago for housing Kurama…the thought alone made her mood turn somber and sad, which didn't go unnoticed by Naruto who just squeezed her hand reassuringly, making Naruko look up at his smiling face.

"Don't worry Naruko-chan…" Naruto said calmly with a warm understanding smile, "Our parents loved us very much; in fact…do you want to see them now?" he asked abruptly, causing her to look at him in shock.

"How? How is that possible?" she asked, her young rational mind kept telling her it was ridiculous, but her heart chose to trust her brother's words.

Instead of answering, Naruto simply looked up at the seal tag resting on the lock of the gate and pulled up his right sleeve before weaving several hand signs. To Naruko's amazement and awe, a complex sealing array appeared on Naruto's arm which ran from his palm to his biceps, and with what limited fūinjutsu skills she had acquired Naruko suggested that the seal was very powerful and she idly wondered how strong Naruto will be once he reached his full power and strength like in the memories…

Once the seal array finished forming, Naruto focused his chakra into his fingertips to channel his potent Senjutsu chakra into them, forming the Five Elements Seal and all five of his fingers glowed with the five elements. This was the Yondaime Hokage's masterstroke; the key to the most powerful sealing array in the world: the **Hakke no Fūin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Seal).**

Naruko watched awestruck as Kurama sent his chakra to create a whirlpool under the boy to help him up so that he was level with the seal tag, and he promptly ripped it off in one go before slamming his hands onto the spiral shaped lock.

"**Hakke no Fūin Shiki: Kai! (Eight Trigrams Seal: Release)**" he yelled, turning his hand in an unlocking motion before jumping back down to Naruko who was still staring in awe at what her brother just did. The 'twins' watched as the lock slowly unraveled before the giant gates opened with a flourish, releasing the great Bijū from its confinement…well, only _temporary_ confinement while he was in her mindscape but it was all the same.

Kurama arched his back at he stretched his body in a very catlike manner, yawning as he did. **"Thank you otōto, you don't know how cramped up I was in there…it was terrible!**" he said jokingly with a grin as Naruto laughed and Naruko giggled, glad that the fox had been freed from its undeserved prison.

Before anything happened any further, all three people in the room; two humans and one chakra being, noticed a new presence in the damp tunnel as they all turned to look at the newcomer. The man was an exact carbon copy of an older Naruto, but this man was wearing a standard long-sleeved blue Jōnin garb and flak jacket, and he was also sporting a white haori with flame patterns licking at the bottom over the attire. His hitai-ate was tied on his forehead not unlike Naruto's along with the bangs framing his face.

The man's azure blue eyes were now solely focused on them as a frown formed on his handsome features.

"What happened here? Why is the Kyūbi free? And how _did_ it get free in the first place?" the man asked seriously, more of a demand than a request as his mere presence and aura exuded authority and sheer power that practically demanded respect from everyone around him, even if he didn't want to…

Naruko, who had been silent when she laid her eyes on the man, had tears welling in her eyes as her mind connected the dots Naruto had given her as she'd recognize the man anywhere, and she didn't know whether to feel angry or overjoyed at her own revelations…

Naruto smiled as he nudged his emotional sister as he gestured towards the blonde man. "Remember what I told you about our parents?" Naruko nodded as she held onto Naruto's jacket to keep from falling on her knees, "Well…he's one of them." He stated with a warm smile, visibly shocking the man who widened his eyes in shock at the unfamiliar newcomer.

Naruto hugged his sister's shoulders. "Naruko-chan, allow me to introduce your; _our_ father and idol . . . Namikaze Minato, Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, the infamous _Kiiroi Senko_ (Yellow Flash)."

* * *

**And that's a wrap!**

**Leave a review for this chapter! I love reviews! It helps me push myself to improve and improve to entertain you guys! I like to thank all the reviewers who took their time and effort to leave me a review for this story! I THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

**HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE!**


	6. Revelations Part Two

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Six: Revelations Part Two**

* * *

"W-What?" Naruko gasped out in complete shock as her body trembled like a leaf in the wind, eyes disbelieving as she stared at the man in front of her, "B-But that's impossible!"

Naruto sadly nodded, sensing his sister's inner distress and turmoil. "I know imōto . . . but it's true, and _he_ knows it." He emphasized the word 'he' while glancing at the blonde man in front of him, arms still holding Naruko in a warm embrace, supporting her as she was clinging desperately on his jacket. It was at that moment the blonde man – Minato – stepped forward as he kneeled in front of the two younger blondes, eyes brimming with suspicion as the man's cold and calculating azure orbs stared unflinchingly into Naruto's own. Naruto returned the stare calmly, his own azure eyes flashing in determination and his protective instincts to shield Naruko from even more hurt.

Minato seemed to sense the younger blonde boy's intentions as Naruto saw the man's eyes widen ever so slightly; not much, but barely noticeable to the naked eye, but Naruto caught it all the same. He wasn't hailed as one of the strongest shinobi to ever live back in his own time for naught.

Deciding to ignore the boy who looked so much like himself for now, Minato turned his gaze on Naruko – his daughter – who was still sobbing her heart out as she clung onto Naruto's grey jacket in a death grip, noticing the boy out of the corner of his eyes wince as Naruko had dug her fingers through the fabric and was painfully gripping the boy's flesh. Minato's eyes softened, heart breaking little by little at seeing his little angel crying. He had promised himself years ago to always be there for his baby girl, to give her a father that he himself didn't have. But now, seeing his little girl crying in pain and sorrow of loneliness and grief . . .

Reaching a tentative hand out to the girl, the boy surprisingly didn't stop him or do anything to hinder his advance; Minato laid a gentle hand on Naruko's head, patting it gently as the girl flinched at his touch. Trying not to let her reaction to his touch faze him, Minato sighed as he spoke.

"Naruko-chan . . ." he said, closing his eyes as a familiar stinging sensation assaulted them, "I am so sorry."

Taking a deep breath to calm his raging emotions, he continued. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you all these years. I'm sorry your mother couldn't be there too. It's all my fault . . ." Naruko quieted down and her sobs became sniffles, her form no longer trembling as she slowly listened to the Yondaime – no, her _father_. "But, please understand that we both love you very much. We were both so ecstatic when we learned your mother was pregnant with you. I literally ran all around the village yelling about how I am going to be a father . . ." Minato chuckled tearfully as his voice cracked with every word, glancing at Naruto every now and then to gauge the boy's reaction, but so far he had seen only understanding and compassion in the boy's own cerulean eyes, which confused him greatly as it left him more questions than answers.

Naruko pulled away slightly from Naruto's jacket, still in his embrace as she turned to face her father, violet eyes red and puffy from the constant crying as her mind tried to digest the information given to her in the short time span, and it was a wonder she hadn't passed out already. It broke Minato's heart even more when he saw the unshed tears glistening around the edges of her eyes, and he hated himself even more for his foolish act all those years ago.

Unknown to the Yondaime, the blonde boy seemed to frown slightly at him as he had sensed the raging negative emotions in the powerful man. Naruto had felt the man's inner turmoil at seeing his daughter in such a state after all these years, and honestly he couldn't blame the man. After all, Naruto had _punched_ his own father when he had first met him, and Naruko was just sobbing her heart out; the clear difference in reactions had caused Naruto to refrain from any comments, lest he make the situation worse than it already was.

Minato closed his eyes sadly, "Naruko-chan, musume . . . I know my words alone can't make you forgive my actions," he was speaking on autopilot now, letting his emotions guide him, "My precious musume . . . again, I'm so sorry, for everything that I've put you through . . ." Images of that dreadful night flashed through his mind, and Minato violently shook his head to clear them. "I'm–we're both sorry for not being there for you when you grew, to watch you grow up, to watch you say your first words, to help you take your first steps . . ."

Tears slid down Minato's cheeks as he spoke, but he quickly wiped them dry with his sleeves. "Naruko-chan," he said, voice cracked and sorrowful, "Please . . . forgive me . . . forgive this foolish excuse of a father." By that point, the blonde man had already fallen on his knees in grief, his emotional wall as a Hokage overridden by his paternal instincts as a wave of guilt washed over him.

Minato had watched how his daughter had suffered at the hands of the villagers through her memories, and had known the villagers hadn't respected his last wish to view Naruko as a hero . . . rather they spat on his memory and abused his only daughter. It made him angry at both himself and the village; the village Civilian Council to be precise, and a certain trio of elders by names of Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura . . .

Naruko remained silent as she watched her father break down in front of her, a part of her wanted to be angry with him for sealing the Kyūbi within her; another part wanted to forgive him and accept him as her father. Looking to Naruto for guidance, she saw him smile warmly at her and inclined his head towards Minato with a nod and Naruko nodded with a smile of her own as she wiped away her tear streaks.

She had made her choice.

Nothing had prepared the Kiiroi Senko for the sudden hug that Naruko threw at him. The man had still been in a self-loathing state when his daughter came at him, causing him to fall on his back pulling Naruko with him. A relieved smile came to his lips as a single tear fell; he had thought for sure his daughter would reject him or worse hate him, seeing as how he had been responsible for her fate as a Jinchuriki and was forced to live alone early in her life.

"I want to hate you . . ." Naruko sobbed, her voice muffled by Minato's flak jacket which was beginning to stain with tears. "I really do . . . but, I also know that you didn't have much of a choice, and I can see in your eyes that you do mean your words . . . so," Naruko looked up at her father's stunned features, smiling tearfully as her eyes conveyed forgiveness and love. "I forgive you, Tou-chan . . ." Minato couldn't hold it in anymore as he scooped Naruko up into a tight embrace, crying tears of joy at the incredible prospect of his daughter accepting him. He was forgiven! Oh, how his soul sang within his very being as both father and daughter cried to their hearts content.

Off to the side, Naruto stood there and watched the heartwarming scene unfold with a warm smile. He was grateful that the meeting hadn't gone completely hectic like how Naruto met his own father. Also, it helped when the new Kyūbi no Kitsune didn't shout death threats at Naruko or trying to entice her with anger and rage like his own had been, so it was a plus in his book. Another thing was that Naruko had lived a quite happy life ever since the villagers accepted her, so it more or less lessened the resentment she harbored against her father.

Not wanting to interrupt the emotional and sweet moment, Naruto instead turned his gaze upwards at the silent fox whose blood red eyes remained fixed on the forms of his arch nemesis and his half-container. Although the fox would never admit it out loud, but Naruto knew that his interactions with Kurama had mellowed out the once hatred fueled Bijū considerably.

Indeed, the great fox had changed; from a grumpy, cynical and all around bad tempered jerk of a personality, to a wise, level-headed and sometimes humorous one, and in Naruto's opinion he liked the new one better. A wise, playful and kind Kurama was better than a Kurama that was trying to kill him every second of the day, seven days a week . . .

Naruto's eyes drooped a little as Kurama glanced downward at him. "Kurama-nii," he said, too lowly for most people to hear, but Kurama's enhanced senses heard him loud and clear. "Am I doing the right thing?" he asked, unease drifting through his tone.

Kurama raised a surprised eyebrow, clearly not expecting the sudden question. **"Why do you ask, Naruto?" **he asked, concerned as Naruto had never used that tone unless the boy doubted his own choices or actions. And Kurama knew, by principle, an indecisive and reluctant Naruto was just as bad as Tsunade winning at a bet . . .

Naruto sighed as he turned his gaze back to watch Naruko and Minato talking to one another, occasionally laughing and sometimes hugging each other as the two slowly bonded with each other with smiles on their faces. His gaze softened as he saw a happy and smiling Naruko, as his only purpose now in his new life was to make her to smile and be happy.

"Did I do right thing?" he asked again, nodding his towards the duo. "By revealing the truth?"

**"****Yes you did," **Kurama replied without hesitation as he needed Naruto to know that his decision wasn't wrong, **"It has to come out sooner or later . . . and the sooner the vixen can come to terms with it and accept it, the better. You know that kit." **Unknown to Naruto, the other two occupants of the sewer overheard their conversation as they stopped to listen in.

"I know but . . ." Naruto paused, thinking for a moment before continuing, unmindful to the fact that his voice was echoing throughout the mindscape. "Is she ready for it? I mean . . . I know revealing the truth to her was the right thing to do and to put her mind at ease, but am I going a little too fast?" he asked incredulously, making Kurama look at him. "I only just met her yesterday where I unexpectedly came into her life. Then from there everything seems to be going so fast," Kurama nodded solemnly as he can sympathize with Naruto's dilemma. "I met Hokage-Jiji, told him the truth about the future, but I suspect that he still has some doubts and speculations about my claims, I sensed it although he tried to hide it."

Naruto closed his eyes and sighed, and Kurama suddenly saw that Naruto was behaving much older than he was. "I may still be dense Kurama-nii, but even I can tell that I jumped the gun when I saw Jiji again. I was so happy and emotional that I didn't think it through enough, and I forgot to show him my memories like I did to Naruko-chan. Even still, did I push Naruko-chan too far too fast?" He said and trailed off at the end. He sighed tiredly again, tears stinging at his eyes, "I don't know what to do anymore nii-san . . . I just don't." he said in a defeated tone. In reality, he didn't want to tell Kurama the _true_ reason he was feeling like this, and decided to keep it to himself for Naruko's sake. After all, it was _her_ life, _her_ parents and _her _family . . .

But, as always, Kurama being the ever perceptive fox he was, sensed Naruto's true emotions right away and decided that enough was enough. He needed Naruto at the top of his game – physically, mentally and emotionally – in order to fulfill the prophecy and defeat Kaguya and Kurama knew the world in this dimension can't survive without a confident and strong willed Uzumaki Naruto.

And he'll be damned if he didn't do something about it!

**"****Kit, snap out of it!" **Kurama bellowed sternly causing Naruto to flinch in stunned surprise. Kurama stared down at his surrogate little brother as he continued, **"Do not even think, even for a moment, that your choices and actions are wrong kit! You need to have faith in yourself that the things you did were right and what's done is already done!" **

Naruto just nodded dumbly as he listened intently with wide eyes, stunned into silence. Usually Kurama called Naruto 'otōto' or just 'Naruto' after they became close, but the only times the Bijū ever used the word 'kit' was when yelling in rage at Naruto or giving an impromptu lecture slash severe berating like the situation he was in now.

Kurama sighed as he continued. **"What happened to the Naruto I knew? The young boy who risked his life to save the people he cherishes without caring for the consequences?"** Naruto looked downcast as he absorbed Kurama's every word. **"What happened to the same young boy who was always kind, confident, cocky, over exuberant and hyperactive, and always stayed that way, even when defeat and death loomed over the horizon or faced with the loss of a loved one?" **At his words, Naruto couldn't hold back his tears anymore, letting them roll down his cheeks as every word the great fox uttered struck home.

**"****What happened to the same young boy who always forgave everyone he meets, friend and foe alike, and strives to prove himself that he was meant for greater things than being the village's scapegoat? The same young boy who not only defeated the demon within him, but befriended said demon to the point of having familial relations with it?" **Kurama stated as he closed his eyes, a memory of the Rikudō Sennin flashing through his mind. Kurama shook his head slightly to clear them an opened his eyes again, turning his gaze on the sobbing Naruto who had hid his face behind his arm. Undaunted by the slowly rising feelings of guilt, Kurama pushed onward.

**"****I know what you're feeling kit . . . you're afraid of the rejection of both your father in this dimension and the vixen isn't it?" **At the corner of his peripherals, Kurama saw Naruko gasp in shock and Minato's eyes widen like dinner plates. **"You're afraid, but at the same time jealous of the vixen's treatment as compared to your own childhood. You're feeling guilty for feeling that way towards her, and you buried them within the depths of your soul for her sake and it hurts, am I right?" **

Seeing Naruto nod, the fox sighed as Naruko looked on in deep sadness tears springing to her eyes once more and Minato just stood there in silence as he contemplated the confusing situation. On one hand, he could call in the bluff and pretend that this meeting never happened with the boy who, by some miraculous circumstances, was his son; his own flesh and blood from another dimension. It all sounded extremely crazy like something out of a storybook that usually parents read to children at night. But deep down, he Minato knew without a doubt that the Kyūbi no Kitsune was speaking the truth, no matter how outrageous it was.

Kurama sighed sadly. **"You don't have to hide them anymore kit. I'm here, the vixen's here for you as well . . . so,"** he reached out a paw to nudge the young blonde boy, causing him to look up at Kurama with exhausted, tear streaked blue eyes, cheeks marked by tears.** "We'll get through this together alright? And knowing you, you'll just power on through and become the same boy you once were again without blinking!" **Kurama chuckled, causing Naruto to smile lightly as well at the fox's attempt at cheering him up. Naruto had forgotten the last time he was this conflicted with his emotions, and he hoped he wouldn't have to face it again.

Naruto was still sorting his thoughts when the soft, soothing voice of his sister interrupted him. "Onii-chan?"

Naruto turned to see her walking up to him, and before he could open his mouth to speak, Naruko threw herself into his arms, holding him in a tight reassuring embrace. Naruto gingerly returned the hug, confused for a moment at her odd behavior before everything started to make sense to him, and he mentally kicked himself for breaking down at the most inappropriate time. The girl had wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him in place with her head buried into his right shoulder, lightly sobbing. Looking over her own shoulder, Naruto could see Minato's stunned expression, jaw gaping like a fish and Naruto would've laughed at the display if not for the emotional atmosphere in the mindscape.

He was broken out of his self-musing when Naruko spoke, her voice soft. "Onii-chan . . . I told you before didn't I?" she said with a smile, violet eyes still red and puffy from all the crying. "I would never hate you . . . so please, you don't have to hide your feelings from me. Even if it's for my sake, don't bottle it up," She touched her forehead with his, managing to not blush at the closeness, and closed her eyes. "You and I both know that's not good for you, for anyone really." Naruko could feel him nod his head as he hugged her tighter, and she returned it with vigor. "You're my precious onii-chan Naruto-kun, and I can say without a shred of doubt," she opened her eyes and stared directly into Naruto's own azure ones, "I love you . . ."

At those three words, Naruto let loose a few tears of his own as he smiled widely at finally hearing those words come out of her mouth. "Even though you just met me yesterday?" he asked jokingly, causing Naruko to giggle.

"After what you showed me today, I feel like I've known you my entire life . . ." Naruko said truthfully, tears still flowing, "So yes, I do love you."

Naruto smiled as he chuckled tearfully and hugged Naruko tighter, his voice hoarse and cracked. "I love you too . . . from the moment I found out that you were my imōto." He sighed, "Only now do I understand . . . after sixteen years." He finished, making Naruko giggle lightly into his chest as she sobbed.

While the two Uzumaki siblings reconciled and consoled one another, Minato was left alone to contemplate Naruto's words. Although he was left miffed and peeved by the apparent closeness his little girl shared with the unfamiliar blonde boy, he gritted his teeth and sighed, letting it slide for once as he thought of what to do. Minato still had plenty of chakra to spare – almost fifteen minutes left – before his astral projection fades back into the afterlife. He wondered how the young blonde boy got his hands on the sealing key that Minato himself engraved onto the scroll toad named Gerotora, and the toad was in the custody of Jiraiya right now.

Minato sighed as he felt a migraine coming around, rubbing his temples. All of his inner thoughts and musings were interrupted when the obvious solution to his current predicament came to his mind like an avalanche, and he couldn't help but mentally face palm while his features betraying nothing on the outside, save for the occasional eye twitch. Concentrating his chakra, he began reviewing Naruko's own memories . . . like how he had been doing for the past thirteen years.

And what he found . . . shocked him to no end.

* * *

Naruto was still mentally thanking Kami for the umpteenth time when he was broken out of his musings by a nudge from Naruko, who had pulled away from his chest and was staring intently into his eyes with her own. Blinking his tears away, he grinned widely.

"What is it?"

Naruko smiled in return. "It's good to see you smiling again onii-chan." She remarked, "You look more handsome when you smile . . ." She said without thinking before hastily clamping her mouth shut with both her hands and looked away to the side, desperately fighting down the massive blush threatening to form on her cheeks. A slight glance at Naruto told her that he wasn't faring any better than her in that regard, judging by the slight dust of pink on his cheeks and a slightly open mouth. If the situation wasn't so embarrassing, Naruko would've laughed at his expense.

Naruto laughed awkwardly as he tried to bring his blush under control, "T-Thanks Naruko-chan . . . I think . . ." he trailed off at the end, stumbling over his words as his arms wrapped themselves around Naruko's lithe frame, his earlier self-induced depression forgotten. He didn't know what to say – couldn't know what to say – as no one had ever said directly to him that he was even _remotely_ attractive in some way.

Well, there was Fūka, former subordinate of Kazuma of the _Shugonin Jūnishi_ (Guardian Shinobi Twelve) maybe, but she didn't count in Naruto's opinion since she _did_ try to kill him . . .

Sure there were some cases when girls and women he saved had expressed their gratitude in one form or another, but Naruto couldn't remember the last time someone complimented his looks other than customary flattery and politeness. But, there was _one_ case in exception, and Naruto would never forget the day when he finally found out about Shion of Oni no Kuni's (Land of Ogres) offer to him all those years ago with Kurama's help, much to the blonde's chagrin, as the fox laughed and teased him all year long. All in all, he didn't have much experience with these kinds of things . . . and it was showing – embarrassingly.

Naruto took in Naruko's cute blushing face as he sighed inwardly in frustration, frustrated with himself and his hormones, and cursing them for the thousandth time. _'Honestly, how much worse can this get?' _he mentally grouched,_ 'I'm crushing hard on my counterpart, who by all means __**is**_ _my little sister . . . damn it, why does this hormone thing have to be so damn hard, Dattebayo!?" _He cursed then as even in his monologue he can still use his verbal tic at times. _'And besides . . . it's too early for that, so for now I'll just be the big brother I always wanted to be then go from there . . .'_ Naruto nodded as he clearly his throat, breaking the slightly awkward atmosphere.

Naruko jumped slightly at the sound, causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow, earning a slight glare from the blonde girl. "Sumimasen . . . I didn't mean to startle you, you alright?" he asked with a wry grin, amusement clearly evident in his tone.

Naruko smacked him slightly on the chest as she pouted. "Not my fault when my motor mouth decides to run off on its own . . ." she muttered, embarrassed.

"Hai, hai . . . whatever you say." Naruto said teasingly, earning another light smack, this time on the head. Rubbing his head in mock pain, he continued, "Still . . . thanks again for the compliment. It's . . . refreshing, since I don't get that kind of compliments often." He said sheepishly as he scratched the side of his cheek.

Naruko smiled warmly as she nodded in understanding, a light dust of pink still evident on her cheeks. "You're welcome, onii-chan."

Stretching, he let out a jaw breaking yawn before resting his arms around Naruko's frame, feeling comforted by her mere presence and touch. "Man, it feels like forever since we've been in here . . ." he remarked with a chuckle.

Naruko nodded. "Yes, seems like a thousand years ago now when I first set foot in here." She then remembered something, prompting her to ask. "Hey, onii-chan, how does time work in here as compared to the outside?" it was a question that had plagued her thoughts ever since coming onto her mindscape, but the constant shoe drops and revelations kept it at the backburner for a while . . .

Naruto rubbed his chin thoughtfully, thinking deeply. "Well, from what I can tell, an hour in here equals to a mere split second outside, so technically time hasn't passed at all." Naruko looked slightly dumbfounded with the news, making Naruto chuckle. "I know . . . it takes a lot of getting used to, but these are the wonders of the art of Fūinjutsu." He explained with a grin, "Not that I know a lot about it though . . . I only started learning after receiving Tou-chan's memories from my time." He finished sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Naruko giggled as she leaned on her brother's firm chest, sighing. "Could you teach me that? What's it called . . . fūinjutsu?"

"Fūinjutsu." Naruto confirmed. "And what kind of question was that? Of course I will teach you! You're not only my imōto, but we Uzumakis have an aptitude for fūinjutsu, so it's a no brainer that we're going to delve into it sooner or later." He said.

Naruko smiled and hugged him. "Thank you, onii-chan."

"Don't mention it."

Naruko pulled away just in time to see Minato walk on over, his expression downcast. She tapped her brother's shoulder, gaining his attention. "Hey look, it's Tou-chan." She pointed over Naruto's shoulder, making him turn his head to see. "I wonder what's going on with him? He seems kind of . . ."

"Sad?" Naruto offered.

"More like sorrowful." Naruko corrected with a concerned frown. "But why? A minute ago he was laughing and smiling with me . . ."

Naruto had a pretty accurate guess on what was on the man's mind right now, but he decided to not comment on that, instead opting for a careless shrug. "Let's ask him."

Naruko nodded as she pulled away completely while still staying in her brother's embrace, silently observing her father approach them slowly, his normally bright blue eyes refusing to meet Naruto's almost as if he was ashamed of doing so. The man's footsteps were slow and heavy, as if some sort of weight was weighing his feet down and it was physically taxing for him to do so.

Stopping just short of the two younger blondes, Minato let out a heavy sigh, startling Naruko by which the way it had been let out. Minato visibly sagged as his expression morphed into one of deep remorse and compassion. She was about to voice out her concerns when Minato beat her to it.

"Naruto," said boy looked at the man, expression curious but serious at the same time. "Are . . ." Minato hesitated, trying to conjure the right words to ask as to not come off as rude, but he decided on a far simpler solution. "Are your memories real? I mean, _really _real?" he asked bluntly.

Naruto, already expecting the question, just nodded with a rueful smile, "They are, a hundred percent authentic," he said, "Kind of hard to take in I believe?" he asked again with a grin.

Minato scoffed with a weary chuckle, running his hands through his own blonde locks as he did. "Understatement of the century . . ." he mumbled mostly to himself, but the two younger blondes heard him regardless, making them laugh lightly.

Shaking his head slightly, Minato sighed as he looked at Naruto – his son – the foreign concept still pleasantly new to the powerful man since he had only got accustomed to being a father to a daughter, not a son. Inwardly though, he was secretly delighted to have a son . . . the mere thought of it thrilling him to no end, as Minato was already giddy and mentally jumping through the clouds when he learned that Kushina was pregnant with their child . . .

The events and hardships that this boy endured . . . events that forged him into the young man standing in front of him now, arms wrapped tightly around Naruko in a protective embrace, had clearly forged a man with great virtue and integrity. No one should've ever been exposed to those kinds of torment and pain, and Minato couldn't thank Kami enough for sparing Naruko of the same fate, no matter how selfish his thoughts may be.

Making his decision, Minato quickly strode up towards the two younger blondes, surprising them both when he suddenly enveloped them in a warm hug. Both teenagers were shocked; Naruto more so as he hadn't expected this kind of reaction from his father. He wasn't even sure if shocked was the right word used.

"Tou-chan?" Naruko asked, voice full of concern and bewilderment. "What's gotten into you?"

Minato shook his head as he hugged his children, _his_ _children_, closer to him. "Nothing . . ." he muttered, "I'm just overwhelmed and happy to see not only my musume but my sochi as well," Naruto looked at the man in shock, missing the triumphant smirk on Kurama's snout and Naruko's happy smile. "I'm sorry you have to go through that kind of life Naruto, no one should." Minato paused, choosing his words that were barely forming in his emotional mind. "Some father I turned out to be, huh? Not only had I failed my daughter here, in this world; I failed my son in another too . . ." The Uzumaki siblings looked at their father sadly as the powerful shinobi broke down slowly in front of them. "Maybe I'm not cut out to be . . ." he started to say before noticing a _gargantuan_ amount of KI directed right at him which nearly floored the former Hokage. At first he thought it was from the Kyūbi, but upon further investigation it came from not one, but _two_ unlikely sources: his children.

Both Naruto and Naruko were glaring at their father, the latter with angry tears in their eyes as the girl slapped Minato, earning a shocked look on the man's face as he nursed his bruised cheek. "Don't you dare finish that sentence Tou-chan!" Naruko shouted.

Naruto pulled away to stand up to his full height, crossing his arms as he did and nodded, none perturbed by her sister's outburst. "She's right Tou-chan. You can't put all the blame on yourself." He said, and he couldn't help but notice the irony in his words, but he pressed on. "Kurama's attack on the village was not, and _never_ your fault. It was Kaguya's . . ." He swallowed as he composed himself while trying in vain to repress the horrible memories of his past, which didn't go unnoticed by the other occupants of the mindscape. "And that bastard _Black Zetsu_ . . ." Naruto snarled out the name with full of venom and contempt, as if speaking the name alone was poison to him. Suddenly, he felt a soft hand holding his own, and Naruto looked down to see that it was Naruko's; that was when he noticed his hands were unconsciously clenching so tightly that it almost drew blood even if it was in he and Naruko's shared mindscape.

Relaxing as he had done many times before with Naruko's warm presence and her small ministrations, Naruto sighed as he grinned broadly. "So don't go and beat yourself up about it. If anything, you were the best role model anyone could ask for." Naruto said as a matter-of-factly to Minato, who stood there in shock. "Even when I didn't know you were my father, I've always looked up to you. I mean come on, you were the Yondaime Hokage! The greatest Hokage Konohagakure had ever produced!" Naruto waved his arms around exaggeratedly as he explained his reasons, making Naruko giggle at his antics while Minato cracked a smile.

Naruto smiled as he ran his hand through his spiky blonde locks. "Even when you weren't my father, you were there for me. . ." he held a fist to his chest where his heart was, "In spirit, as a Hokage and hero for me to uphold the _Will of Fire _and protect everyone precious to me like Hokage-sama told me when I was younger. That's the reason why even though you weren't alive to be in my life, you were always there for me, the village and everyone else. . ." he stated as he grinned broadly, eyes closed as to hold back the stinging sensation of tears in his eyes after his emotional admission.

Naruko smiled warmly at her brother. It was times like this that she _really_ saw who was hidden underneath that mask of aloofness and goof: it was a boy who had suffered much in his life but powered through it with determination and guts. She shook her head in amazement. She wasn't sure she was confident in herself to stay positive and optimistic if she was ever exposed to the kinds of torment Naruto had been put through . . .

Minato was stunned, not by Naruto's admission, but by the way the young man spoke them with such wisdom well beyond his years. Naruto not only allayed the elder man's fears of being an incompetent parent, but he also reassured him that his and his family's sacrifice to save Konoha had not been in vain, and there was still hope for their supposedly bleak and dark future.

Minato smiled warmly as he put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, making the boy look up at him. "Thank you Naruto . . ." he said sincerely, "If your words before wasn't proof enough, now I have no doubt that you are my son, and I am a very proud father indeed." Naruto smiled back as he fought back the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. He had just reconciled with his father a second time, which was saying something, and it _didn't_ start out with a punch in the gut.

Minato's hand was still placed on Naruto's shoulder as he gestured for Naruko to come closer before pulling them both into another hug which they gladly returned.

"Thank you both, Naruto, Naruko-chan . . ." he stated emotionally, "I entrust the future of the village in both your hands . . ." Naruto remained silent as he nodded while Naruko started sobbing while she embraced the man tighter. "Remember, no matter what choice you make in your life, just know that I'll always believe in you."

Just then Minato's body had sparks of light glittering from him as he started to fade. The man looked down upon himself, smiling. "Guess my chakra is at its limits . . ."

Both Uzumaki siblings didn't need to be told what was happening right in front of them now; their father was leaving.

Naruko hugged her father even tighter, refusing to let go and in denial, "_No!_" she cried, "We just found one another and now you're leaving?! That's not fair!" she sobbed harder as the implications of her own words came crashing down on her. Her father was leaving and there was nothing she could do.

Naruko then felt a hand on her shoulder causing her to look up into the cerulean depths of her most precious person. It was then she idly noticed that her father's cerulean orbs a slightly darker shade as compared to Naruto's whose eyes were an icy, sky blue, which were the eyes she was staring into right now and she found it difficult to pull away from his gaze, which was full of understanding, warmth and concern.

Naruto smiled sadly, squeezing her shoulder in comfort. "Come now Naruko-chan, don't be sad," he said cheerfully, but Naruko could see the tears sliding down the boy's cheeks, which said otherwise about how he's truly feeling. "Besides, it'll be a lot harder for Tou-chan to leave us if he saw you sad like that . . ." he managed to choke out before squeezing his eyes shut to stem the flow of tears from his eyes. It was obvious to Naruko that he was just as upset as she was which made her feel guilty for being so selfish.

Wiping her tears from her eyes, she hugged Minato one last time before pulling away reluctantly, a tearful smile adorned on her beautiful features. "Naruto-kun's right . . . I'm being selfish for wanting you to stay, Tou-chan . . ." she said hands still holding onto the fading man's own, wanting to relish the last moments she would ever have with her father. Naruko understood that he had to go, but it still hurt even if she had come to accept it as inevitable. "I'm going to miss you."

"And I you," Minato said with a smile, fading faster than ever, "Take care of your brother for me musume . . ."

Naruko nodded through misty eyes, "I will."

"And Naruto!" said boy looked up at the mention of his name, "Protect what is precious to you . . . take care of your little sister." Minato said, and Naruto nodded intently eyes shining in determination.

"I will. I never go back on my word." Naruto said as he held a fist to his heart, "That is my nindō; my ninja way!" he declared resolutely, making everyone around him smile. Deciding he couldn't resist as the notion was too tempting, he added. "Dattebayo!"

Minato stood there stunned for a brief moment before bursting out in laughter while Naruko stared at her brother in complete shock.

"Hah! I knew you were you're mother's son!" Minato laughed out, smiling.

Naruko shook her head in amazement at their similar verbal tics, before grinning up at Naruto. "You have _got _to teach me how to do that!" she said, "I've been trying to stop doing that for years!"

Naruto nodded with a warm smile before giving a two-fingered salute to Minato, "See you later, Tou-chan."

Naruto saw the elder blonde nod his head when he noticed that the man's eyes were focused on something _behind_ him, and Naruto didn't have to turn around to know who his father was staring at with such longing and warmth.

Naruko smiled as she waved. "Sayonara, Tou-chan!" she called out as she, Naruto and Kurama watched on as Minato faded into the afterlife with a peaceful expression on his handsome face, making Naruko feel extremely happy for getting to know her father for the first and last time . . .

She broke out of her stupor when Naruto nudged her by her shoulders. "Hey," he said, concerned. "You okay?"

Naruko nodded with a small smile. "Yeah . . ." she wiped her tear streaked face dry with her hands, "I'm going to miss him though."

"You and me both." Naruto said in understanding, after all, he was also his father.

Naruto smiled as he cheerfully said, "But let's get past that now, as right now, I want to introduce you to someone," his words made her perk up instantly as she listened intently, "Someone who is just as special as Tou-chan, if not even more so . . ." Naruko could feel her heart thundering in her chest as she processed Naruto's words, not quite believing on who he was implying.

"Ara ara . . ." a melodic voice sounded behind them, causing Naruko to turn behind her to find the owner of the voice, "You're over exaggerating Naruto-kun, I'm anything _but_ special . . ." the voice said with mirth in her voice as Naruko finally had a better look at the newcomer.

The owner of the voice was a stunning woman in her late twenties whose angelic features were the same with Naruko's own, with knee length vibrant red hair that flowed down her slender back and brilliant purple eyes that shone with love and mischief. She was wearing a forest green maternity blouse over a white shirt that made her look even more motherly and beautiful. Her lips were curled upwards into a gentle smile which immediately drew Naruko in with her gentle and loving presence.

With the feeling of her presence alone, Naruko had already known who this woman was before she even told her.

Naruto chuckled as he scratched the side of his cheek, embarrassed. "Well, don't sell yourself short, I mean without you, where would we be?" he asked rhetorically that caused the woman to giggle at his silliness.

The woman then turned to look at Naruko, whose tears were already falling, and she smiled warmly at her which caused Naruko's tears to come harder, already knowing without a doubt who this woman was. The only people who could exert such a warm and loving aura would be Naruto, her father, and . . .

"K-Kaa-chan . . ." Naruko stuttered out, overwhelmed with emotion.

The woman nodded, the smile never leaving her face, "That's right, I am Uzumaki Kushina," she said, "I'm your Kaa-chan . . ."

Naruko moved a tentative step forwards, then another, and in moments she was running in full sprint towards the newly named Kushina before throwing herself into the woman's waiting arms, sobbing her heart out in joy.

"Kaa-chan!" Naruko cried out in happiness, happy tears pouring out of her eyes.

Kushina gently ran her fingers through her daughter's silky golden tresses, tears of joy of her own falling as well. "Yes, musume . . . Kaa-chan is here . . ." he whispered into the girl's ear making the girl sob as Kushina gently rubbed the girl's back in small circles.

Naruto approached the happy mother-daughter duo with a warm smile, sending a silent gesture of thanks to Kurama who was resting on his front paws watching the scene unfold, not daring to interrupt.

It was then Kushina took notice of Naruto standing beside them, and she smiled at him. "Come here Sochi-kun," she said, stunning the young man. At his shocked look, Kushina elaborated, "I heard everything Naruto-kun . . . and I don't care you're from another dimension, you're still my precious sochi . . . even if I had no memory of giving birth to twins." She joked lightly at the end making Naruto chuckle before joining the hug as well.

The three of them just stayed there, hugging each other and tuning out everything else, for they knew that when they had each other, nothing could ever go wrong . . .

* * *

**And that's a wrap people!**

**I'm sorry for the long delay in updating as I've got a ****_massive_**** case of writer's block when it came to writing this emotional chapter. I've also got my college life to attend to and my semester exams *sigh* oh well, it's my own dumbassed fault for choosing Cambridge A-Level anyway . . .**

**Well I've ranted long enough! Also, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! I've hit the 100 review mark in less than three weeks and now it stands at 119 reviews. You guys are awesome! Free cyber cookies and nachos for everyone!**

**Please leave a review for this chapter! As you know I LOVE reviews! I'm sorry for making Naruto a bit OOC, but I just hate Kishi-sensei's version of the dense idiotic Naruto which bordered on unrealistic . . . and I'll also tone down the Sasuke bashing as I would like for Naruto to reforge the bond he had with the brooding Uchiha . . .**

**This is HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE!**


	7. One-man Cell! The Second Exam?

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Seven: One-man Cell! The Second Exam!?**

* * *

Contentment: a feeling or a state of happiness and satisfaction.

That was what a certain blonde haired blue eyed young man was feeling at the moment as he walked down one of the busy streets in Konoha with Naruko right beside him, holding onto his hand affectionately. The Uzumaki siblings were currently on their way towards the Hokage Mansion at the behest of Naruto after their intense emotional bonding session within their shared mindscapes. With only an hour or so left before they have to be at the Academy if Naruto's memory served him right, Naruto knew he needed to be quick.

Hastening his pace, they both arrived at their intended destination and Naruto led his sister into the main lobby of the Mansion before heading upstairs to meet the Sandaime. Now, most people would've wondered why Naruto was meeting the Hokage at this time of day when it was the day of team placements, but Naruto hadn't needed to meet with the old shinobi if not for the important fact that his mother had pointed out to him during their reunion . . .

**~ D ~ R ~**

**_Flashback – a few moments ago . . ._**

_After their emotional reunion, the Uzumaki trio happily talked and bonded throughout the time Kushina was able to remain in the mortal plane with her chakra. Naruko was the happiest of them all as she not only met her father, but she also met her beautiful mother as well, and it was all thanks to a certain blonde haired boy who was sitting cross-legged in front of the mother-daughter duo who was sitting close together, with Kushina sharing_ _Naruko her story of how she came to Konoha and became the Nidaime Jinchuriki of Kurama, her childhood in Konoha and when she met Minato, about how he saved her Kumogakure spies and the consequent attack on the village thirteen years ago . . ._

_Naruto mostly tuned out their conversation as he had heard them before from his own mother back in his time and dimension, so he didn't notice when Kushina began calling out to him, stirring him from his stupor, "I'm sorry, Kaa-chan, what was that?"_

_Kushina giggled as she repeated her question, "I said, if you're as skilled as you were when you left your timeline, doesn't that upset the equilibrium of your team?" she asked, a serious expression adorning her lovely features which made Naruto raise an eyebrow. "What I meant by equilibrium is that you are powerful in your own right as you are basically a Kage-level shinobi holding onto a Genin rank. It not only unbalances the team, but the team basically drags you down with their low-level skill sets and I know you don't like being held back." She said with a smirk as Naruto flushed in embarrassment while Naruko giggled. _

_She basically hit the nail on the head, reminding him once again that mothers always _do_ know what's best._

_Kushina smiled as she smoothed out her blouse before speaking, "So here's my suggestion: when you get back, go and talk with Sandaime-sama into give you permission to operate independently with a Jōnin retainer as an observer." _

_Naruto's eyes widened while Naruko just tilted her head sideways, confused. _

_"__Though rare, there were some cases that Genin were already mid-chūnin level when they graduated from the Academy. Take Uchiha Itachi for example, as the Sandaime gave him leeway to operate as an independent cell and can be paired with any other team as the situation requires it." _

_Naruto nodded as he heard the story from Kakashi once when they were on a routine scouting mission a few years back. Itachi's skillset were so advanced for a Genin he had to be removed from the official team placement list as to balance out the other teams. _

_Naruto hummed in thought as the suggestion was very tempting, but he needed one other person's approval to go through with it. Naruto turned towards his sister, who was sporting a slightly conflicted look. _

_"__Naruko-chan?" he tentatively asked, making the blonde girl look up at him with those shining violet orbs of hers. "What do you think? Should I go for it? I won't go through with it if you don't want me to . . ."_

_As Naruko took her time to ponder his question, Kushina smiled warmly at her __children__, yes children… especially Naruko. She was no fool, she had already seen the signs that her daughter was infatuated with her son from another realm, and strangely enough she didn't feel disgusted or repulsed by it. Maybe she was one of the last of the Uzumaki Clan where interbreeding was normal in the clan, or maybe because she found Naruto to be the perfect match for her daughter in every way; either way the thought of her two children getting together felt strangely... _right_to her. _

_Kushina looked at Naruko again, who was sporting a thinking expression, the red-headed mother smiled warmly at Naruto's considerate nature to his sister's feelings, which Kushina found to be utterly adorable. _

_"__You don't have to do it if you don't want to, musume." She said softly._

_"__No." Naruko said with conviction, a smile of understanding on her lips. "I understand your predicament Onii-chan, and honestly we're nowhere near your level of power now, and we will just slow you down." Naruto was about to speak in protest, saying that Naruko can be a strong as he was, before Naruko held up a hand as she continued. "Don't misunderstand me Onii-chan, I can become stronger, but not now . . . maybe in the near future, but not now." Naruko said as she smiled, "That's why from today onwards, I'm going to train as hard as I can to catch up with you, so that one day it will be _my_turn to protect you! Dattebane!" she immediately clamped her mouth shut with her hands, face blushing in embarrassment as she cursed her verbal tic for the hundredth time. _

_Kushina giggled, "Ara ara, it looks like I'm not the only one with a verbal tic, dattebane . . ." she chided lightly with a grin. _

_Naruto on the other hand was touched beyond belief at Naruko's thoughtfulness and determination to get stronger to protect him, and his heart warmed with every word the blonde girl spoke. He chuckled as he stood and moved towards Naruko, grabbing her in an embrace. _

_"__Arigatō, imōto. You don't know how much that means to me…"_

_"__No problem Onii-chan." She mumbled into his shoulder, holding him close to her reveling in his warmth that only he can provide as Kushina looked on with a knowing smile._

_After that, they shared their last moments with their mother telling her how much they loved her and they promised to make her and Minato proud of them, which Kushina tearfully thanked them for. _

_"__Arigatō . . . sochi, musume . . . thank you for being our children . . ." Kushina tearfully sobbed. "And thank you for accepting Minato and me as your parents . . ." she then hugged Naruto and Naruko in one last embrace as she began to fade from the mortal plane, her body shimmering with light, "I love you both . . ." _

_Naruko sobbed, burying her face in her mother's blouse. "I love you too, Kaa-chan!"_

_Naruto nodded, trying not to cry as he grinned broadly with squinted eyes. "Don't worry about us Kaa-chan; we've got Kurama here to protect us." _

_They all looked at the grinning Bijū, and they all shared a small laugh. The small, bittersweet moment was the last one the family shared before Kushina completely faded, causing Naruko to bury her face into Naruto's chest as she sobbed as Naruto wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace. _

_When Naruko had finally calmed down, the Uzumaki siblings were preparing to depart to the real world when their mother's melodious voice sounded throughout the mindscape, one last time._

_"__Arigatō . . ."_

**~ D ~ R ~**

Naruto sighed wistfully as both he and Naruko were standing in front of the large double burgundy doors that led into the Hokage's office. After being shown in by the secretary Hikari, who gave a warm smile towards Naruko who smiled back, Hikari went into the office to inform Hiruzen of their arrival. Naruto was still thinking about the morning's events when he suddenly felt a nudge in his mind.

– _Are you alright, onii-chan?_ – Naruko's voice reverberated in his mind, making Naruto smile as he turned to look at her.

– _I'm okay . . . just thinking about this morning, that's all. _– Naruto replied mentally, as he shook his head, before saying out loud. "Man . . . I still can't believe we can do that."

Naruko giggled as she hugged one of Naruto's arms, smiling. "I know . . . it feels so surreal to be connected to you like this . . ." she said. After they returned from their mindscapes, imagine their surprise when Kurama spoke to them both at the same time, explaining that now that Naruto has opened the seal on Naruko, they will be able to communicate with each other telepathically due to their shared chakra with Kurama, which the Uzumaki siblings found to be amazing and surreal. Never in their wildest dreams would they imagine being this connected to each other, which not even the most devoted of lovers could achieve.

But it did present a problem early on, as both Naruto and Naruko had to erect mental shields to block out their more intimate thoughts from each other, as Kami knows how embarrassed they would be when one or the other found out about their feelings for each other.

Naruto chuckled as he patted Naruko's head, making her blush. "Hey… even without the telepathy, I will always be connected to you."

Naruko nodded with a smile. "I know Onii-chan..." she replied. And it was at this moment the burgundy doors opened to reveal Hikari who poked her head out to greet them with a smile.

"Hokage-sama will see you now." She announced and Naruto nodded as he led Naruko inside.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was sitting behind his desk tackling the bane of all Hokages – paperwork – when his surrogate grandchildren stood in front of him, making him smile.

"Ah, Naruto-kun, Naruko-chan!" he greeted as he put his pen down, happy to get away from the blasted paperwork, even for a moment. "Hikari told me you wanted to see me. What is it?"

Naruto nodded as he inclined his head respectfully. "Hokage-sama," Hiruzen's face turned serious as Naruto never used honorifics unless the matter was serious, just like Naruko. "I have revealed to Naruko her lineage and my origins. She now knows everything about me and my current mission to the past."

Hiruzen nodded, already expecting it. "Well, that's good to know — one less hurdle to vault over in the future."

He looked at Naruko with a concerned gaze, "Are you alright Naruko-chan?" he asked sincerely, worried about the girl's emotional health, as it's not every day one gets to learn about their deceased parents who were actually renowned shinobi of the village.

Naruko nodded with a warm smile, touched by the old man's thoughtfulness. "I'm fine Hokage-sama, and I trust Onii-chan completely as I know he will never lie to me."

"That's good to hear," Hiruzen breathed as he looked at the two siblings, "Was there anything else that requires my attention? How were team placements?" he asked.

Naruto sighed. "Actually, that's the reason why we're here." He paused, gathering his thoughts to word his question right as the wizened Hokage waited patiently. "With all due respect Hokage-sama, but I think you're showing favoritism in choosing Team Seven."

At the old man's questioning look, Naruto elaborated, "Traditional shinobi cells only consists of four-man cells instead of the unusual five, and it blatantly shows your obvious favoritism towards Naruko and me Hokage-sama, surely you'd have thought of that?"

Hiruzen was stunned; not only by the question, but the way the young blonde man worded it in way that was both reprimanding and insulting at the same time. Reprimanding Hiruzen for disregarding normal procedures to squeeze Naruto in with Team Seven so that he could be with Naruko, and insulting the Sandaime at the same time for not thinking of the consequences of his choice, which were mostly political. For years, he had kept the civilian council from interfering with Naruko's life by threatening to execute them for treason if they so much as threw a stone at the girl or inciting mobs to hurt her. Most had begrudgingly agreed, but those vultures are always waiting for an opportunity to strike at the old man, be it politically or socially, especially Shimura Danzō . . .

Naruto was becoming an adept politician.

Hiruzen sighed as he let the information sink in. The events of the past day had finally caught up to him, and a cold feeling of dread bubbled up within him for his decision to put Naruto in Team Seven. He sighed as he lit his stovepipe, puffing it as he let out a breath.

_'__I'm getting too old for this . . .'_ he thought sullenly.

"You're right Naruto-kun, I've completely missed it." Hiruzen said with a weary sigh, looking every day his sixty five years. "Damn it, I didn't think far enough that it could possibly risk a political backlash from the council . . ."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "That's understandable. You're human after all, even if you are the Hokage."

Hiruzen let out a small sigh as Naruko beamed proudly at her brother. "So what do you suggest I do?" he asked, and Naruto looked up with his sky-blue orbs, his face serious as he spoke.

"Take me off the Team, and place me as an independent Genin cell with a Jōnin retainer."

Hiruzen almost dropped his pipe in shock as he processed the boy's question. "W-Why would you do that?" he shakily asked, and Naruto proceeded to tell the old man about the twin's encounter with Minato and Kushina, and it was Kushina's idea for Naruto to work independently as he was leagues above most shinobi in the village, even with his reduced combat abilities due to his age and height.

To say the old man was shocked was an understatement, the man nearly had a mental breakdown once he heard the words _'Minato'_, _'Yondaime'_, _'Kyūbi' _and _'Hakke Shiki no Fūin'_.

Once finished, which was about five minutes later, Hiruzen slumped in his seat as he emptied his pipe in an ashtray, looking exhausted. "I see Kushina-chan's merit in putting you as an independent cell, as was the case with Uchiha Itachi all those years ago..." he mused, and at last he nodded. "I'll take care of the paperwork and contact Team Seven's Jōnin sensei about your transfer from the team and I'll see about your Jōnin retainer, and I'm guessing you already knew who your Jōnin sensei was, am I right?" he added with a chuckle, earning a small smirk from the young blonde.

Hiruzen sighed as he resumed his paperwork, making Naruto's request as his top priority. "If that is all, you are dismissed." He said before he started grumbling. "And finish this blasted paperwork..." he added quietly, but the Uzumaki siblings heard him clearly.

Naruto shook his head amusement as he chuckled, making both other occupants to look at him strangely, "What's so funny Onii-chan?" Naruko asked with her tilted to the side.

"The bane of all Hokages," Naruto gestured grandiosely at the stacks of paperwork on Hiruzen's desk, making the old man grumble even more. "I'm surprised you haven't figured out the way to get rid of them."

Hiruzen looked intrigue by Naruto's question as he leaned forward intently, outwardly showing interest while inwardly he was desperately clinging onto the hope of forever leaving behind his paperwork for good, not that he would admit it.

Naruko also listened intently as she too wanted to know how to combat the bane of all Kages — after all she wanted to be Hokage in the future so she might as well know it beforehand.

"Oh, care to enlighten me?" Hiruzen stated.

Naruto grinned mischievously, knowing that his answer was going to absolutely break the old Kage. "Two words Jiji: **Kage Bunshin.**"

Hiruzen sat there, face devoid of any emotion save for the slow breathing that showed the other occupants that he was very much alive. After a few moments of silence, with Naruko glancing worriedly at the old man while Naruto was amused greatly by the his actions, Hiruzen finally snapped out of his stupor before banging his head on the desk, startling Naruko as she heard the wizened Hokage mutter, "Baka, baka, baka . . ." each word emphasized by a bang on the desk.

Naruto laughed heartily as Naruko rushed to Hiruzen's side, face showing concern. "Jiji! Stop that! You're going to get a concussion!"

Hiruzen then looked up, and Naruko saw anime tears rolling down the man's face, making her sweat drop which actually weighed her head down.

"After all these years . . ." Hiruzen cried as he spread his arms out, "I'm finally free! Hah!" He laughed, causing Naruko to backpedal towards Naruto, who was busy laughing his guts out.

At this moment Hikari barged into the office to see what was going on, and saw the Sandaime laughing hysterically to himself, causing her to sweat drop.

"Do I want to know what happened to him?" she asked the two siblings, who shook their heads no, with Naruto sporting a grin.

Hikari sighed. "I guess not. Come on you two; let the Hokage revel in his happiness for now." She said leading the two out, leaving the overly happy Hokage to his own devices.

The only ones who were forced to see their leader in this state were the poor ANBU guards in the office, who were wishing they were on an S-Rank assignment right now rather than dealing with an emotionally compromised Hokage…

**~ D ~ R ~**

"That was mean, Onii-chan."

"Hey, it's not my fault that the great 'Professor' overlooked that particular fact, even if I worded it gently, I would still get the same reaction."

"I know but still it was . . . disturbing to see Jiji like that." Naruko said as they walked back on the street leading to the Academy.

Naruto shrugged as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders in a show of comfort. "I know Naruko-chan, but don't worry about it. He'll be back to his normal self in no time, you'll see!" Naruto offered her a grin, and Naruko couldn't help but smile back.

They were walking along at a leisurely pace, trying to kill what's left of the one hour before their sensei arrives, and enjoying each other's company. Naruko had come to cherish her time spent with her precious person, and she wouldn't trade those times for anything in the world. Naruto was her life, her light, her anchor, her best friend, her brother and her first crush...

Unknown to her at the moment, under multiple layers of mental shielding, Naruto was contemplating one important factor that he had failed to take into account: The _Shinobi no Yami (Darkness of Shinobi) _Shimura Danzō, head of the ROOT Foundation.

Naruto only heard only as much as what Sai, his ROOT teammate had told him, and from what little information he could dig up on the old crippled warhawk was anything but good; assassinations, espionage, sabotage, blacker than black operations, paramilitary, mental and emotional conditioning, etcetera . . . and from what Tsunade had told him, Danzō was _very _power hungry. He had always wanted Kurama to be his ultimate weapon of destruction, so that he can achieve his dream of an unchallenged Konoha, and take over the Elemental Nations. Luckily for Naruto, he was saved from that horrible fate thanks to the Sandaime of his time and Tsunade too.

Naruto was evidently worried, as his arrival could jeopardize Hiruzen's position as the Hokage and allow Danzō to use Naruto's arrival as ammunition to usurp the old Kage. This factor was why he was currently overdriving his sensory skills and had multiple Kage Bunshin henged into discreet objects, animals or insects to keep an eye out for the war hawk's agents, which the clones would dispel after sighting ROOT agents and alert Naruto of their whereabouts.

He had already left a clone with Hiruzen to fill him in on what the course of action that should be taken in the event that Danzō questions the old man about Naruto's presence and apparent obscurity in which he had arrived. Naruto once again thanked his surrogate brother for reminding him of this important fact, or else he would've forgotten it altogether and it would come back and bite him in the rear.

Kurama chuckled. **"You're welcome."**

–_Once again, you saved my ass nii-san._ – He mentally thought back before being pulled from his thoughts by Naruko, who was nudging him.

Naruko frowned slightly. "What's wrong Onii-chan?"

Naruto smiled reassuringly as he squeezed her hand. "Nothing imōto," he said, and they noticed that they were already in front of the Academy building, "Let's get back shall we?" he dramatically gestured towards the Academy entrance in a 'ladies first' gesture, making Naruko giggle as she entered, followed by Naruto.

As they entered the classroom, they were greeted by the sight of a brooding Uchiha sitting by the windowsill who was close to losing his cool while being continuously harassed by a pink haired banshee. They both took notice of the Uzumaki twin's arrival and Sakura was the one who reacted first,

"You're late!" she shrieked, causing Naruto to wince at the volume and Naruko to shake her head in exasperation.

"Our sensei isn't even here yet, and it's been already two and half hours." Naruko said with a small frown.

Sakura huffed as she spoke again with her usual haughty attitude, "Well you should've arrived early, and who knows our sensei could come in at any moment?" Naruto sighed as he mentally face palmed while Naruko's eyebrow twitched slightly. "We took our lunch and we're already back here in half an hour waiting, isn't that right Sasuke-kun?" Sakura turned towards her crush, hoping to get a reaction out of the raven-haired Uchiha.

Sasuke just scoffed at the girl, visibly annoyed. "Tch. Whatever..." Sakura became downcast as she took her seat beside him, trying to muster up her courage again to ask him out on a date. The Uzumakis made no reply as a mental conversation was underway . . .

– _Why do I like her again when I was younger?_ – He mentally asked.

Kurama sighed in amusement. **"Because you were a baka, and you thought she was pretty and intelligent and she gave you attention, even if said attention was giving you multiple concussions per day or punching you through a wall…"**

– _Wait, what?!_ – A new voice sounded in their telepathic conversation, which Naruto recognized in slight dread that it was Naruko. – _You had a crush on that fangirl!? And what was it that you did she gave you concussions?_ –

Uh oh. _This _conversation…

Naruto mentally sighed. – _Well, I used to ask her out on dates, but she always rejected me, violently. _– He unconsciously rubbed the back of his head, as if a bruise was still there. – _She would punch me on my head or throw me through walls just because I didn't know any better . . ._ –

Naruko visibly tensed as she tried to control the white hot rage boiling within her at Sakura. – _How dare she!? She?! A fangirl, punching my Onii-chan!? Oh I am so going to –_

– _Hey, hey calm down!_ – Naruto hugged her shoulders as he guided Naruko towards one of the seats at the front row, setting her down to calm her fuming. – _This isn't her remember? That was my Sakura, not this one; I didn't exist before yesterday, remember?_ –

Naruko blinked as she calmed down, scratching her cheek in embarrassment, which Naruto though it looked absolutely cute on her. – _Sorry… _–

Kurama snorted. **"I on the other hand would've done much worse than what you were thinking vixen."**

Naruko flushed in embarrassment as images from her imagination flowed through their bond, making Naruto raise an amused eyebrow. – _Wow, Naruko-chan, I didn't know you had it in you!_ –

– _Shut up._ – Kurama however just laughed at her expense, much to her chagrin. – _And shut up Kurama-nii! _– Kurama just laughed even louder.

The four of them waited for another half an hour, with Sakura continuing to bug Sasuke and said Uchiha was still brooding away and trying to tune out Sakura.

Naruto and Naruko meanwhile were meditating, which Naruto taught to the girl as he explained the importance of meditation and a clear and sharp mind. He told her that one can make decisions quicker and notice their surroundings better as they have no distractions in their thoughts, which Naruko thought to be advantageous, even if the meditation part was boring. Naruto even admitted that he hadn't taken up meditation until he was forced to when he was learning Senjutsu (Sage Arts), and in time it had become a hobby, then a habit which he still possessed till this day.

All four people were broken out of their musings when the door to the classroom opened, revealing a man with gravity-defying silver hair wearing a regular Jōnin garb with a blue mask that covered his face, and his hitai-ate was slanted to cover his left eye, giving him a scarecrow like look as only his right eye was visible.

Naruto smiled warmly as he looked at his sensei. He was just as he remembered him to be, laid-back, aloof and his cool-hip attitude as one Maito Guy said. But then the smile turned devious, and Naruko immediately noticed it and braced herself for what's to come.

As soon as the man stepped into the room, a hidden seal appeared on the ceiling above him and it dumped a bucket loud of chalk powder onto the man, drenching him white from head to toe. The two other people in the class looked on in shock at the now white colored man, as he too was too stunned to move or even speak, and they wondered who had pulled a fast one on the Jōnin.

Naruto's face was a calm, neutral façade while mentally he was laughing along with Kurama and a giggling Naruko, who had been informed of the plan beforehand. True she disliked pranking others, but she felt the man deserved it for making them wait for three hours.

Naruto looked at the man, whose face was still in shock, and coughed into his fist which also hid the smirk he had, snapping the man back into reality. "Wow, sensei, you look like crap. You've seen a ghost or something?" He mentally grinned at the irony of his statement.

Sakura looked aghast as Sasuke just muttered something about weak senseis. The man composed himself before speaking, his visible becoming a U-shape, "My first impression of you guys… I hate you." He cheerfully stated, causing Sakura to go wide-eyed in shock and Sasuke's eyes to twitch. The siblings just looked at him with curious expressions, Naruko's more pronounced of the two. "Meet me up at the roof in five minutes." And with that the man vanished in a swirl of leaves, leaving an afterimage of chalk powder in his wake, and strangely enough, the chalk powder floated towards the door as if someone had moved there.

Sakura was the first to whirl on the blonde boy as she gained a murderous expression, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she shouted.

Naruto shrugged as he cleared his ear with his pinky finger. "It was just harmless fun, no harm about it."

"But you made our sensei hate us!"

Naruto sighed as he stood up and patted his clothes where the chalk had gotten on him. "Trust me… Sakura is it?" he feigned ignorance as the irate girl nodded, "Our sensei won't hate us for long, if anything he'll like us even more."

Sakura frowned, "How does that have to do with him hating us?"

Naruko was about to open her mouth to tell Sakura to drop the subject, when Naruto held up a hand, stopping her. "Do you think I chose chalk powder to prank him because I felt like it?" Sakura just nodded with her arms crossed, clearly peeved at the handsome blonde newcomer. "Well you thought wrong, it was actually a test to see if you're as acute to your surroundings as most shinobi should be." Naruto inclined his head towards where the man once stood, "Did you see anything unusual when he left?"

Sakura scoffed. "You're talking to the smartest student in the Academy, of course I can see it!" she scanned the spot where the man once stood, brow creased in concentration. "He left an afterimage of chalk powder when he teleported away, see! Easy!" she smugly said.

"And?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"And what?! What's more to this than you pranking our sensei and made him hate us?!" Sakura shrieked, earning an annoyed glare from Sasuke as he made his towards the door.

Naruto was about to explain, when Naruko finally got it. "The technique he used . . ." she started, causing everyone to look at here inquisitively, even Sasuke paused in his steps. "It wasn't a teleportation."

Naruto smiled as he hugged her shoulders, feeling very proud of her. "Correct! Good job imōto!"

Sakura looked confused, while even Sasuke was intrigue. "What is it then? I don't understand . . ."

Naruto looked at her, before shaking his head. "Are you really the smartest student in the Academy?" he asked bluntly, causing Sakura to visibly shake and fume at his words while Naruko giggled to herself. "Naruko-chan, if you would be so kind to explain to your friend here."

"Of course, Onii-chan." Naruko said with a smile. While inwardly she was slightly peeved to consider Sakura a friend, but her precious person asked her to do it so she wouldn't deny him.

"The technique he used was a speed technique, a D-Rank Jutsu called** Shushin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique)**, as it basically increases the speed of a shinobi by a hundred fold to move from one point to another in a short distance as if you were teleporting." She explained, with Sakura nodding once in a while and Sasuke listening intently, pleased that his choice of a wife was smart and knowledgeable. "To mask the appearance of it being seen as a speed technique, numerous other objects or effects are used such as swirling leaves or smoke."

Naruto nodded as he patted Naruko's head causing her to blush, while also noticing with satisfaction a glare directed his way from the Uchiha. "Great answer Naruko-chan, and how did you know it was a speed technique?"

Naruko pointed towards the door, "As he shushined away, I saw chalk powder floating towards the door as if someone had passed through it, so that was why I knew." Sakura and Sasuke were stunned by the Uzumaki siblings and a little jealous, especially Naruto. The young blonde turned a prank into a lesson in less than a heartbeat. Sasuke was jealous of Naruto because of his apparent closeness with _his_ future wife, and said future wife's mutual closeness to Naruto was getting to the boy.

Naruto smirked as he had felt the raven haired Uchiha's feelings as he stood up, offering a hand to Naruko which she took and pulled her to stand. "Yosh, let's get going. We wouldn't want to annoy our sensei any more than necessary." He said with a chuckle as he led a smiling Naruko out the door, followed by a stunned Sakura and a seething Uchiha.

Once they were on the roof, they took their seats on the steps of the roof in front of the silver haired man, who was daisy fresh and clean while leaning back against the railing, a familiar orange book in hand as he lazily skimmed through the pages. Sasuke and Sakura took their seats to the left and right of Naruto and Naruko, with the girl sitting a step down in front of the blonde boy. Once they were all settled, the man spoke up.

"Now, let's introduce yourselves." The man said with an eye smile, "Start off with your names, likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future . . ."

Sakura raised her hand, "Why don't you go first sensei?" she asked, all innocent and haughty looking, making Naruto face palm again while Naruko sighed and Sasuke just grunted.

The man eye smiled. "Alright, I am Hatake Kakashi," he started, "Things I like and things I hate? I don't feel like telling you that . . . my hobbies? I have lots of hobbies . . ." he looked up at the sky, contemplating, "My dreams for the future? Never really thought about that . . ."

Almost all of Team Seven have massive sweat drops on their heads. Sasuke's eye was twitching in annoyance; Sakura looked like she would burst a vein; while Naruko, even with advanced warning, was still hard-pressed to not twitch her eye in annoyance, otherwise remained calm. Naruto just sat there with a raised eyebrow, amused.

"Alright, now you know about me, now it's your turn pinky," he pointed towards Sakura, who glared at Kakashi for the nickname.

Sakura puffed her chest out, "My name is Haruno Sakura. I like cherry blossoms and . . ." she looks at Sasuke and squeals, "My hobbies are . . ." she looks at Sasuke once again, and squeals. "And dreams of the future . . ." and yet again she squeals while looking at Sasuke.

Kakashi sweat dropped, very bemused. '_Great, a fangirl . . .'_ he thought. "And things you hate?" he asked.

"Ino-Būta! (Ino-Pig)" she instantly shouted, causing the rest of her teammates to wince at the volume.

Kakashi cleared his throat, "Okay, now onto you broody." He pointed at Sasuke, who grunted as he spoke, voice low and condescending.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke," he started, "There are not a lot of things I like and there are many things I hate . . ." Kakashi frowned at the boy but said nothing, as the boy's voice became cold as winter, "What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan, and _kill_ a certain someone."

Naruto sighed as he listened to Sasuke's introduction as Sakura went on about how cool he was, which had gone the same way it has before. Truth be told, Naruto wasn't sure how he would go about with Sasuke's fate, already knowing that bastard Black Zetsu had already manipulated the Uchiha Clan from the start.

If he was honest to himself, Naruto would've left the Sasuke of this dimension to die a horrible death, but he knew that was the hormone talking. Naruto had already promised his best friend he would save the Uchihas from imminent extinction, and to pull him back from the abyss. He just needed to keep his cool when the raven haired boy lusted after his sister.

He mentally groaned in frustration as he couldn't make up his mind, on one hand he wanted to help his best friend, but said best friend was also attracted Naruko who Naruto himself has a massive crush on. He didn't know whether it was a good idea to confess this early, but thought better of it. After all, he had a lot of time on his hands, and he just needed to keep Naruko busy and discreetly keep him away from Sasuke.

Petty, part of him whispered, but it was well worth it! He couldn't let the suave Uchiha get everything he wants without a fight, not by a long shot! Sure he was having feelings for his sister, but he didn't want to push it too far too fast as he didn't know what she thought on the matter, and maybe he never will . . . he sighed as he just have to deal with it and cross that bridge when he comes to it.

Kakashi blinked as he narrowed his eyes at Sasuke, warning bells ringing in his head. He knew who that _someone_ was, and frankly he didn't like where Sasuke's thinking was leading him. Deciding to move on, he spoke.

"Now that was . . . pleasant, now your turn twin tailed blondie." Kakashi pointed at Naruko, who snapped out of her reverie and nodded with a bright smile.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruko," she said bowing her head respectfully, "I like my onii-chan, my best friend Hinata-chan, training, ramen and cooking. I dislike perverts, judgmental bigots who shun others for things that they couldn't control," Kakashi raised a surprised eyebrow at that, while Naruto nodded with a smile. "I also dislike the three minutes it takes for cup ramen to cook, and also _fangirls_." Naruko spat out the last word as she directed her piercing violet orbs at Sakura, who huffed and looked away. "My hobbies are training and spending time with my onii-chan. My dream is to protect those precious to me and the people I love." Naruto smiled even wider than before; immensely proud of the girl he calls his imōto.

Kakashi was smiling under his mask, hidden pride filling him. '_She is her father's daughter.'_ He thought before speaking, "And last but not least, Casanova blondie."

Of all the things the silver-haired man could've said, this was_ not_ one that Naruto expected, as he gaped like a fish for a few seconds before composing himself as Naruko giggled, causing him to flush. "Alright here goes . . ." he began before he stiffened as memories of a clone came back to him, and he smiled.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto, elder brother to Naruko here." Naruto began, as Kakashi narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "I like Naruko-chan, training, meditating, ramen and occasionally, cooking." Naruko smiled as she heard that, while Sasuke looked on with a scoff, still bitter at being shown up by the blonde. Sakura just looked on in curiosity, eager to learn more about Naruko's mysterious new relative. "I dislike stuck up people, people who look down upon others because of their last name or family name, and the three minutes it takes for ramen to cook in a cup." He cheekily added at the end, making Naruko giggle slightly while Sasuke muttered about ramen addicts and stupid blonde boys. Sakura just sat there amazed by the similarity in traits and interests to two of them shared. Kakashi just sighed as he figured that Uzumakis were notorious for their ramen addiction.

"My hobbies are training, spending time with Naruko-chan, and learning about new jutsus. My dream for the future, no, I call it a goal, is to protect those precious to me till my last dying breath, and always be there for my imōto…" Naruto finished as he looked directly at Naruko, who had tears in her eyes as she hugged him.

"Arigatō, onii-chan . . ."

"Don't mention it."

An awkward atmosphere settled among the group as the siblings hugged, with Sasuke glaring daggers at Naruto while Sakura shifted uncomfortably as she heard the heartfelt words of Naruto to his sister which Sakura found to be utterly romantic. Kakashi blinked once, then twice, before chuckling softly as he was reminded of a scene in his Icha Icha Paradise Vol.3.

Well, no one needed to know right?

Kakashi snapped his book shut, which broke the uncomfortable silence that had fell over the group, as he pocketed it away.

"Alright, now that we know more about each other, we can get down to business." The members of Team Seven listened intently as Kakashi spoke, "But before that, Naruto, the Hokage has approved of your request to operate as an independent cell, so you're not part of Team Seven anymore," Naruto nodded as he already knew it from his shadow clone, while Sasuke and Sakura were giving him disbelieving looks, Sasuke's more of a death glare than anything.

Naruko just smiled warmly.

"But he has placed me as your Jōnin retainer, so you'll have to take the test with us. Congratulations. " Kakashi said with an eye smile.

Sasuke fumed as he pointed at Naruto. "Why is he allowed to operate independently and not be put in a team?" Sasuke literally demanded.

Kakashi sighed. "Because Hokage-sama told me so, and he also said he has faith in Naruto's abilities that surpasses this year's graduating class." He explained, and Sasuke fumed as he heard this. No one had been allowed to operate as an independent cell not since . . ._ him_. Just thinking about Naruto doing the things that _man_ had done was getting on his nerves, and Sasuke couldn't but see Naruto as the second coming of Itachi . . .

It was then Sakura spoke up, "Wait, what did you meant by a test sensei? Didn't we take the Genin Exams yesterday?" she asked.

Kakashi eye smiled, and Sakura felt a chill go down her spine. "The Genin Exams you took?" he chuckled dryly, "It was to see that you could have _potential_ to become Genin. This test weeds out the rest of the potentials . . ." he said, eye smile still in place, "Out of all the ninja hopefuls, only nine of you will pass, ten if you add Naruto since Hokage-sama was convinced he can pass."

Sasuke, Sakura and Naruko nervously gulped as they heard the ominous words spoken by the Jōnin, with Naruto seemingly unaffected by it as he took Naruko's hand and squeezed comfortingly. "Let me warn you guys first: this test has a sixty-six percent chance of failure, and I'll be the one conducting the test." Kakashi paused to enjoy the astonished and frightful looks his cute little Genin were giving him – all but Naruto.

Kakashi stood up and turned towards the railing, staring over the horizon. "Meet me at Training Ground Seven at seven in the morning. Oh," he said, turning his head slightly to face the Genin, who were already tensed up and worried, "Don't take breakfast, or you'll puke . . ." and with that, he vanished in a swirl of leaves, leaving the four people behind.

Sasuke took a deep breath before setting his face in determination, before standing up and turning to leave. "I don't care about you idiots, but don't slow me down tomorrow, or you'll regret it." He said before walking away, Sakura obediently following after him like a lost puppy.

Naruko sighed as she turned her shaken gaze towards the only person who can dispel her fears, and she melted herself in his embrace, holding him close. "I'm worried Onii-chan . . ."

Naruto chuckled as he ran his hand through her blonde tresses, "Don't be, you'll do great!" he said with conviction making Naruko smile, "Just remember to 'look underneath the underneath',"

At her questioning look, he explained, "Which means there's more to it than meets the eye. There are always reasons behind every motive. Find it, understand it and exploit it, that's the way of the shinobi." He advised with a warm smile.

Naruko nodded into his chest, "Alright, I won't let you down." She said. "That's a promise!"

Naruto couldn't help the smile that was forming on his lips at those words. This girl was slowly becoming the most important thing in his life, and he for the life of him couldn't decide whether it was familial love he was feeling or something much more.

Time will tell, he thought.

He stood, pulling Naruko with him. He smiled down at the girl when she let out a small yawn.

"Let's go home, Naruko-chan."

Naruko smiled radiantly up at him. "Yes, let's."

Unknown to Naruto however, the very person he was slowly having a small infatuation for was also entertaining similar thoughts to his.

Not that he would know, as her mental barriers were just as strong as his was.

And so, brother and sister walked back to their shared apartment, each of them thinking about the other, not knowing what the future will bring with their eventual discovery, either for the better —

— or for worse.

But one thing was for certain for these two — they would stand by and rely on one another, for their bond transcends that of time itself, and would vanquish all who threatens to sever it.

A bond, made possible by Kami's intervention.

A bond so strong — it would change the fate of the Elemental Nations as we know it.

If only they knew what was to come…

**~ D ~ R ~**

**Hey everyone!**

**So, a small rewrite of chapters 7 and 8 to smooth out my mediocre writing — yeah, I am a bad writer, these speedy plot holes are ginormous! Oh, the struggles of a first timer! Oh, I've also cut out the confession part — a bit too early, I'll admit, but we'll see.**

**And I also want to thank all the reviewers who reviewed the last chapter. You guys are amazing! Especially ****TIMOTHY NGUYEN 73, who pointed out several flaws (by several he meant a lot) in my plot line, thank you very much! Although you dropped it but you still gave me a 3.2/5.0 rating! It's my first fanfic so please go easy on me . . .**

**Anyways, here's the latest chapter of Destiny Rebirth. I'll update again soon! **

**This is HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE!**


	8. Dilemma!

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Eight: Dilemma! **

* * *

"Okay, what are we having for dinner tonight?" Naruto asked as he put his arms behind his head, walking along the road that led back home. "We could go to Ichiraku's, or we could go to Yakiniku BBQ…"

"How about we eat at home today?" Naruko asked with a small smile, making him turn towards her in interest. "I can cook really well — more so when it comes to ramen. What do you say?"

Well, Naruto wouldn't be Naruto if he didn't love ramen — how could he refuse such an offer?

"Alright! We'll follow your plan then." he said.

"Yatta!" Naruko cheered as she dragged her brother off towards the marketplace of the village. "Come on, we'll need a few more ingredients if we're going to have a healthy serving of ramen tonight."

An so, off the two went, going from vendor to vendor, stall to stall, with Naruko picking her preference of vegetables — which were, remarkably still _fresh_, even if it's the night market — and other cooking materials while Naruto trailed behind, holding her groceries. Normally he would object to this kind of treatment by anyone, and would've shouted at their face to do their own damn jobs.

But, he would've worn bright orange then, and not care for his new sister in the slightest — both of which were non-existent now.

It helped that Naruko's cheerful personality was as infectious as his own, and it only added to her cute appeal.

_'__Not again.' _Naruto thought, shaking his head. _'I __really__ need to figure out what the hell am I feeling for imōto right now… this is getting annoying.'_

Ever since their meeting with Minato and Kushina, Naruto's feelings for his sister were getting more muddled by the minute, and his warped perception of life and personality due to his poor upbringing were taking a toll on his mental state.

Kurama meanwhile, chose to stay silent at seeing the young man's predicament — his container, surrogate brother and best friend needed to find the answers for himself, in his own time without help.

When he finally does find it, he would finally mend the fractured soul of the man that was once known as Uzumaki Naruto — Child of Prophecy and Savior of this World — and finally accept his new identity as Uzumaki Naruto — brother, mentor and best friend to Uzumaki Naruko.

The young man needed to do this on his own — but that didn't mean Kurama couldn't indirectly help him along the path.

**"****Hey, vixen."** The Bijū called through telepathically. **"I need speak with you – in private. This is important."**

He was using a private method to communicate with the one that he was talking to — that was the perk of him sharing both of his container's mindscapes. He can transfer his soul and consciousness from Naruto to Naruko and vice versa whenever he felt like it or when one or the other was threatened.

His Ying and Yang half may have fully merged and he was once more at full strength, but that didn't meant he was immune to the Gedō Mazō's (Demonic Statue of the Outer Path) chakra sealing chains. That was one of the loopholes of being sealed into _two_ hosts — chakra transference.

_– __Alright, Kurama-nii. I'm listening… what is it? – _Naruko replied.

On the outside she was chatting adamantly with her brother about one thing or another, or about a new flavor of ramen that Ichiraku's had developed. On the inside, she was curious as to why her new Bijū surrogate brother would want to talk to her in private about. Whatever that was causing the great Kyūbi to be concerned was enough for her to be wary as well.

Kurama was silent for a moment.

**"****Say, vixen." **He began, **"What are your first thoughts when you met Naruto?"**

Naruko didn't know if it was the abruptness of his line of questioning or was it when he spoke about the object of her confused feelings, but she stumbled slightly in shock. Naruto was by her in an instant, face furrowed in concern.

"I'm fine…" she waved off his concern with a motion of her hands, making him narrow his eyes for a moment before letting go, not after telling her to be careful.

Composing herself, she turned inwardly to her tenant. _– W-What's that supposed to mean?! –_

Despite her obvious embarrassment, Kurama couldn't help the smirk that made its way to his dark lips. **"Hah, what a reaction I got from you!"**

_– __Kurama-nii… – _she pleaded.

**"****All joking aside, I was serious. What did you think when you first met him?" **Kurama asked, all ounce of playfulness evaporated in an instant.

Naruko was about to open her metaphorical mouth to answer, only to shut it closed when nothing came to mind. As her physical body kept walking around the marketplace with her brother, her mental state was deep in thought. Deciding to at least humor the giant fox, she said the first thing came to her mind —

— and would regret it as soon as she said it.

_– __He's cute. – _she mentally said before flushing in embarrassment. Where had _that_ thought come from?!

Kurama was silent for a moment, and Naruko could already imagine the wide grin that was forming no his lips at the moment, no doubt finding immense amusement in her words. Oh, great Kami-sama, please just kill her now and spare her the embarrassment and let the earth open up and consume her entirely!

**"****I believe I should laugh," **he began, causing Naruko to want to cover her face in embarrassment. **"I really should, in all honesty — if I didn't find your reaction to be utterly normal for a growing girl like you. You're a beautiful girl yourself, and only an idiot wouldn't see that… one of those idiots is the guy helping you out with your groceries — he's so dense and hopeless in love it's not even funny."**

Naruko mentally frowned at the fox with a light dust of pink on her cheeks. Sure, she had entertained the thought of actually dating Naruto when she got to know him better, but that was before she knew he was her brother. Wouldn't people nowadays frown upon incestuous relationships?

Kurama sighed, and Naruko imagined the amused smirk it had on his lips. _– Okay, so I had a crush on him. What does __this__ have to do with you wanting to talk to me — besides embarrassing the hell out of me? – _she thought irately.

Kurama sighed. **"Because I need your help in showing him what being in love, and being loved in return truly means."**

If Kurama hadn't said those words with such a serious and somber tone, Naruko would've laughed out loud, let Naruto hear her be damned. It was as if he was stating an undeniable fact — and Naruko was beginning to piece together the image he was trying to portray in her mind.

Naruko only mentally blinked up at the grinning fox, not quite believing what he had said.

While in the physical realm, she was laughing at Naruto trying to balance the mountain of groceries in his arms but failing miserably, forcing him to use shadow clones instead — she also found that Naruto's frustrated pout was _adorable _on his normally composed features.

**"****To put it simply, it is only natural for humans to be attracted to the opposite sex — the kit being your brother aside, but I'm a chakra construct given sentience, we don't have those kinds of restrictions." **Kurama chuckled, but his mood became somber after that. **"Even if it's you, or any other girl for that matter, I need your help in showing him what love is all about."**

_– __A-Are you sure, Kurama? – _she replied tentatively, a sudden feeling of anxiety welling up within her.

And feeling the Bijū nod only made that feeling even more pronounced.

On the outside, she kept her strides slow and relaxed, but inwardly her mind was raging like a typhoon. A hundred different thoughts came forth to her mind, trying to see where Kurama was going with his strange request. Did her brother not know about the love of friends and family, or even a lover?

Even though she already knew the answer, she suppressed the involuntary shiver that came from her realization as she asked anyway.

_– __Why? – _she could only ask.

It's the only question she _could_ ask, for she had already known the answer to it even before Kurama decided to explain it to her, fighting the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. The boy's memories had already confirmed it for her.

**"****Because he's… a special case." **He began, **"Naruto's childhood is so messed up because of me he craved for every scrap of attention the village could give him, which always got him into uncomfortable situations —** **pranking being one of them. What's worse, because of his harsh treatment, his entire perception on the word 'love' is so twisted to the point that he couldn't tell the difference between familial and romantic love."**

Naruko stifled a horrified gasp as she sped up her paces, unknowingly drawing her chakra to move slightly faster than normal, forcing Naruto to match her pace to keep up with her.

Naruto could tell she was distracted by something, but didn't comment on it in order to respect her privacy — another trait that pulled her towards him.

**"****Your friend Hinata? The Hyūga Heiress?" **he asked. At her mental nod, he continued. **"In our dimension, she had the ****_biggest_**** crush on the kit. She would blush and stammer only in his presence and his presence alone. It was obvious to ****_everyone _****that she liked him — but because of his warped perception, he always thought she always had a fever when she blushed like a tomato around him."**

Naruko could only gape in shock.

This… this was what the villager's in her brother's dimension had turned him into? No…no, she couldn't accept that! There has to be another way for him to learn about love again! She would rather kill herself than see her brother die thinking he was always alone, without knowing that everyone around him loved him like a family.

Not like this! Not while she was here and had promised to be there by his side, no matter what!

**"****That is why I need your help." **Kurama said with a sigh. **"It may not ****_necessarily_**** be you who he has romantic feelings for — it could be anyone in fact. The main thing is to help him learn how to love… I don't want him wallowing in self-hate and doubt, not after what he had been through because of being my host. Not again."**

Kurama was sad and desperate, that much Naruko could tell. Even if he didn't want to admit it, he was afraid of losing the boy he had grown so close to — to be honest, so was she. She had already seen him break down once, in her mindscape. She promised herself to help him through the pain, to be there for him when no one else would.

To help him shoulder the pain, and the burden that was on his shoulders.

_– __So that's why asked me what I first thought of him… – _she thought I realization, a small blush on her cheeks, hidden from view lest her brother saw it and questions her about it. _– You were confirming if I… if I... –_

**"****Yes, there was a possibility — you can't deny the chemistry that was between the two of you, no matter how small it was. It's still there." **Kurama said. **"I think I'm partly responsible for you feeling that way. Two parts of the same puzzle are always drawn together in the end."**

_– __Kurama-nii, in layman's terms please. I'm hopeless at riddles. – _

**"****You remember that I — which was the Kyūbi that was sealed within Naruto — am from the same dimension as the kit, correct?" **he elaborated, causing Naruko to nod mentally.

They were almost at her apartment already, so Kurama had to wrap this up quick. She couldn't afford any distractions whilst in the throes of her cooking. Kami knows what would happen when another 'realization bomb' was dropped on her head.

**"****Well, you see, I contain only the Yin half of my chakra — the other half is in the Jūbi, but that's a story for Naruto to tell, not me. When I came to this dimension, Naruto only possessed the Yin half of my chakra… but because of your presence, and you were containing my Yang chakra, it forcefully merged the two chakras — in turn the personalities of me and my other self."**

**"****Obviously, I won since I'm talking to you. And about you two being attracted to one another — let me put it this way: imagine you are a puzzle, the Yang half. You get me so far?"** Kurama asked. Once Naruko nodded, he continued. **"Now, imagine Naruto as being a puzzle that is compatible to you, my Yin half. So, in short, when the two pieces are close together, they resonate. And, by my guess, the side effect of that resonance is…"**

_– __What. The. Hell? – _Naruko thought in astonishment and slight anger, almost tripping on her own feet as she did. _– Are you saying that… because of this… 'resonance' that I am slowly feeling attracted to Onii-chan? Do you know how absurd it is when you said it to my face!? –_

**"****Of course I do." **Kurama admitted shamelessly, making Naruko simmer mentally in anger. **"But it's just my theory. This is the first time in my millennia of existence that I have time traveled and possess two hosts — cut me some slack will you?" **he whined playfully at the end, his tone never losing its amused edge.

Naruko sighed. Great, just what she needed — her feelings influenced by an internal factor. But then, her feelings so far had been genuine, no manipulation whatsoever, and the resonance thing hadn't been too bad so far. It was not as if she would pounce on her brother like some rabid female.

She shivered at the mental image. She prayed to Kami that she wouldn't end up like _that_.

Naruko closed her eyes when she and Naruto arrived at the main door of her apartment. Taking a deep breath, she let it loose before opening her eyes in determination.

_– __Okay, Kurama-nii. I'll do it. – _she thought, before adding. _– For Naruto-kun's sake. –_

**"****That's all I ask, vixen. Thank you."**

"Hey Naruko-chan, you okay?" Naruto asked beside her. "You've been spacing out a lot when we left the market – something wrong?"

"Nothing." Naruko waved off his concern as she unlocked the door. "I'll tell you in due time, but for now, let's enjoy the night."

Naruto stared at her for moment, cerulean eyes clearly showing that he had not believed her in the slightest, before he relented with a smile.

"Okay, I'll wait."

And he meant it, but he didn't know just how _long_ it was to wait for the reply.

And with that, they entered the apartment, the two of them with a lot on their minds.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

Naruto sighed in relief as he held his full stomach, burping loudly as he did causing Naruko to giggle and chide him slightly for his lack of manners, which he sheepishly apologized. Dinner was great if Naruto had to so say himself, as it was not instant ramen cups they were having for dinner. It was still ramen but it was very different and the reason was: Naruko was cooking.

Yup, Naruto's cute little sister was cooking her homemade special ramen that she made up herself and Naruto had to admit, it was by far the _best _ramen he had ever tasted in his life, both past and present. When Naruto praised her cooking, using exaggerated hand motions and his cheeky smile in place, Naruko blushed completely red at his words before laughing at his silly motions, causing Naruto to smile.

And now they were currently in the living area of the apartment, with Naruto sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the couch where Naruko was currently sitting relaxing while thinking about tomorrow's Genin Test. Naruto went through multiple scenarios in his head to think of the most effective way to get the bells from Kakashi – which Naruto hoped was the same test he will give if the timeline remained intact – and also try to work with Sasuke and Sakura, both of whom were still in their early-annoying-adolescence stage, not like the mature and competent ones he used to work with back in his time.

Another thing Naruto had to worry about was to _not _pound the Uchiha into next week for leering at his sister…

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Naruko spoke, "Onii-chan, can I ask you something?" she asked.

Naruto nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

Naruko looked slightly sheepish as she pointed over to the dining table where Naruto had deposited his scrolls he had obtained that morning from the blacksmith, violet eyes lit with curiosity, "What's in those scrolls? You promised me to tell me what they are after our dinner . . ."

Naruto too looked over before realization dawned on him. The young blonde stood up and made his way over to the table, randomly taking one of the scrolls lying haphazardly on it before moving back to where Naruko was, smiling warmly. He made a mental note to create another seal to house more of his belongings as he didn't want to mess up the apartment they were living in.

Sitting down in front of the couch where Naruko was sitting, Naruto opened the scroll on the floor to reveal a simple storage seal engraved into it. Naruko poked her head over to take a better look at it, head tilted in curiosity. Naruto placed two fingers on the seal before channeling his chakra into it, creating a puff of smoke before it cleared to reveal the contents.

The moment the contents were revealed, Naruko's eyes widened in surprised recognition and awe as Naruto smiled. "These, Naruko-chan . . ." he picked up one of the many tri-pronged kunais with a special seal engraved onto the handle and held it out for Naruko, who gingerly took it as if the kunai was made of glass and would break if she wasn't careful, "Are the special kunais I told you about. I'm sure I don't need to explain what they are for, ne?"

Naruko shook her head as she continued to examine the kunai and the seal, her face a picture of awed fascination and adoration which made Naruto's heart skip a beat. "T-These a-are Tou-chan's kunais . . ." she said reverently.

Naruto smiled as he nodded. "Yes they are."

Naruko turned to look at him. "B-But how? I thought only Tou-chan can use them since only he had mastered the technique . . ." she started to say before her eyes widened in realization, and she looked down at the kunai before looking back up at Naruto, awestruck beyond belief, "Onii-chan, you didn't . . ."

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "I did."

Naruko remained silent for a couple of seconds before she squealed, much to the surprised shock of our blonde hero before he was bowled over by a blonde cannonball, falling flat on his back with her on top of him.

"Oh my gosh! You know the **Hiraishin**! Since when?! Where did you learn it?! Who did you learn it from?! Can I learn it too, please, please, please?!" Naruko's sudden rapid-fire questions caught Naruto off guard as he tried to calm his sister down, and he couldn't help but be amused at her overwhelming enthusiasm to learn new jutsus, just like him. Gingerly prying the excitable girl off him, Naruto stood before dusting himself off as he grinned.

"It's a secret~" he sang out, earning an annoyed pout from Naruko as she huffed indignantly, causing Naruto to laugh, "Alright, alright, calm down . . ." he said in a placating manner, "I learned it from Tou-chan's memories, right before his . . ." Naruto swallowed as that horrible memory flashed through his mind, he never did got over that painful memory as it was still fresh in his mind, despite meeting this dimension's Minato. "His soul was ripped away by Kaguya . . ."

Naruko squeezed his hand in comfort as he tried to get his emotions under control. Once he did, Naruto smiled. "And of course I will teach you Naruko-chan! It's basically an artificial bloodline limit Tou-chan developed so that no one other than his blood relatives can use it, so it makes sense for you to learn it too!"

Naruko smiled wider as she bounced on the balls of her feet, her giddiness plain for all to see, "When do we start?" she asked excitedly.

Naruto thought about it for a moment, before he smacked his right fist into his left palm when an idea came to his mind. "How about the day after tomorrow?" he suggested, "We'll start bright and early to get some training in, and I'll teach you everything I know, what say you?" he asked with a grin as he already knew the answer before she even spoke.

Naruko nodded, a cheerful and bright expression adorned on her lovely features. "Hai!" she said before hugging him again, this time in a grateful manner. If Naruto was just as strong as he was in his memories, then Naruko wouldn't have anyone else as her instructor. "Please take care of me, Naruto-sensei." She added cheekily, earning a laugh from the taller blonde male.

As for Naruto, he wouldn't have it any other way either. Not only can he train his sister to become a more talented kunoichi, they can also incidentally spend more time together, and in Naruto's opinion that was a big okay in his books. But, as he kept reminding himself over and over again, he would need to be discrete as to not draw attention lest Black Zetsu caught wind of his meddling and Naruto's dark future would be a reality the second time around.

He silently renewed his vow to save his friends and this world, especially the girl in his arms . . .

Naruto was pulled out of his thoughts when Naruko asked, "Is tomorrow's test going to be difficult?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not unless you understand the meaning of the test, remember . . ."

"Look underneath the underneath, I remember Onii-chan…" Naruko murmured. "But it's just so hard not to be worried about it, you know? Even though I know I can pass, but…" she explained while trailing off at the end, voice dropping to a light whisper, her face a picture of worry and slight frustration. Naruto didn't know why she was feeling frustrated, but respected her privacy enough by not probing into her thoughts.

Naruto hummed as he thought of a way to ease her tension, before a wide grin formed on his lips. "Hey Naruko-chan..."

"Yeah?"

Naruto continued to grin as he faced Naruko, making her tilt her head in confusion. "You up for a little stakeout tonight?" he asked mischievously.

Naruko seemed to contemplate as she gazed at him in confusion, and upon seeing her nod uncertainly, Naruto's grin was near face-splitting as he grabbed Naruko's hand and pulled her along, heading towards the door. "Come on! We can call this an impromptu training session in trap-making and fūinjutsu!"

Naruko blushed a little when grabbed her hand and had pulled her along, making her yelp, "B-But w-where are we going?!" she asked. It was already late at night and was dark out at the training grounds, what sort of training does her Onii-chan had in mind?

Naruto glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, wide grin still present. "You'll see!" he said with a laugh as the Uzumaki siblings ran off into the nighttime atmosphere of Konoha, a plan already forming in Naruto's newly developed tactical and strategic mind...

**~ D ~ R ~**

Sakura was having a really bad day, she just knew it. After being informed by their sensei about their real Genin test yesterday, she had been extremely worried about her team's chances – or more specifically her own chances – since Naruto had apparently made the silver-haired Jōnin hate them on their first day and was acting so annoyingly nonchalant about it, as if he wasn't even a tiny bit worried.

After that little episode, she had futilely tried to ask Sasuke out on a date again, which as usual the raven-haired Uchiha coldly refused, leaving her feeling as dejected as ever. After that she had gone home, broke her dieting routine by stuffing as much food into her stomach as possible to prepare for the test, and went to bed early since Kakashi had ordered them to be at the training ground early.

And now she was here, sitting under one of the trees in Training Ground Seven, heavy bags under her eyes and her pink hair disheveled like it had been a cat's plaything the night before, staring blankly at the predawn hours of Hi no Kuni's clear skies which were currently blossoming with a mixture of red, blue and violet.

Sakura yawned loudly as she leaned back against the tree trunk, intending to get some light sleep in; she was never a morning person anyway, and her mother had practically dragged Sakura out of her bed to get her to wake up. She silently cursed their sensei for making her wake up this early and miss her all-important beauty sleep, and also slightly regretted her decision to join the shinobi corps . . . but she reminded herself once again _why_ she was here, enduring this hellish torture no lady should be put through, or so her mind likes to think.

All for her Sasuke-kun . . .

Hearing footfalls and crunching grass beside her, Sakura opened her eyes to see none other than her eternal crush walking steadily towards her spot, looking no worse for wear save for the bags under his eyes and the slight sag in his shoulders, and to an untrained eye he looked as how he normally would. But Sakura wasn't his number one fangirl for naught, as she could tell that he was tired, even though the Uchiha tried to hide it with a calm and emotionless façade.

All the exhaustion that was in her system seem to vanish at the sight of Sasuke as Sakura smiled brightly at him, "Ohaiyo Sasuke-kun!" she greeted.

Sasuke barely glanced at her as he took a seat a ways off from where she was; muttering a tired 'Hn' under his breath that Sakura was barely able to register, but she heard it nonetheless as she slumped, depressed once more. Although she was used to the Uchiha's cold attitude and usual rejection of her offers to date, today somehow made it worse to bear compounded by the impending Genin test and lack of sleep, Sakura's day just kept getting worse and worse.

If only she knew the extent of her miserable day. As both Sakura and Sasuke sat waiting for their blonde haired teammates and their sensei, both of them none the wiser that they had been completely and easily suckered by their own sensei . . .

**~ D ~ R ~**

Naruko yawned as she stretched, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she attempted to pull herself out of the comfortable embrace of her mattress to start the day. As Naruko tried to pull herself up, she found that she couldn't and she glanced down to see a pair of arms encircling her in an embrace, and she looked behind her to see a sleeping Naruto, face set in a peaceful smile as he unconsciously hugged Naruko closer to him, making said girl blush slightly before she smiled, turning around in his embrace to stroke his cheek, brushing away a few strands of her own hair from his nose so that they wouldn't tickle him.

For the first twelve years of her life, she had gotten used to sleeping alone, since she had no one to share her home with and she wasn't about to let random strangers into her home just so she could feel safe; it would be the exact opposite of what she was aiming for. But there was always a large part of her soul that longed for physical contact or someone she could share everything with: her laughs, her smiles, her pain, her memories . . . At first it was Hinata who filled that gap in her soul, as Naruko basically shared everything with her and her with Naruko. Hinata would sometimes sleep over at Naruko's home, and alternately Naruko would then sleep over at the Hyūga Clan Compound, more specifically Hinata's room.

Naruko had already met Hiashi, Hinata's father and also Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister by six years. Hiashi was the sort of person that Naruko would typically associate with strict fathers and a stick-up-the-ass Clan Head, so she could understand Hinata's plight when the lavender eyed girl told Naruko of her troubles with her father.

Hanabi was alright, but she had a bit of a superiority complex that – although paling in comparison with Uchiha Sasuke's bloated ego – was so obviously ingrained into her by Hiashi, who deemed the Hyūga Clan was the strongest shinobi clan in the village after the Uchiha Clan's untimely demise a few years ago.

But, Hanabi did show a softer side to her character, which was immediately apparent with how Hinata would always talk and laugh with Hanabi while the younger Hyūga girl would look up at Hinata in adoration, away from the eyes of the Clan Elders and their father.

And then there was Hyūga Neji, the Hyūga sisters' cousin in the Branch House. . .

Only one word that Naruko could accurately describe the older male Hyūga's attitude: _asshole_. Naruko fought a scowl that was forming on her features as she thought about the destiny-obsessed young man, the more she thought about him, the harder it was for her not hold back her scowl.

At the ego department, he could go head-to-head with the Last Uchiha and none of them would come out the winner because their inflated egos were just that evenly matched, and that was saying something. Along with the stick-up-his-ass attitude, superiority complex that bordered on ridiculousness, and his pure and utter hatred for the Main House of the Hyūga Clan, Neji was not in Naruko's potential friends list anytime soon.

But what made Naruko not favor him any more than a stranger was that his hatred was directed solely at one individual: Hinata. According to him, his father died protecting the Main Family because some foreign diplomat turned out to be an enemy shinobi that threatened to kidnap Hinata when she was three years old, and Neji's father was sacrificed in place of his twin brother, Hiashi, for the good of the clan. And Neji had hated the Main House ever since . . .

Naruko inwardly sighed at the tragic and utter senselessness of it all, and couldn't help but feel pity for the Hyūga Prodigy . . .

Naruko chanced a glance at her bedside alarm clock to see that it was nearly nine in the morning.

The seams of panic started to unravel within her and as she was about to bolt straight up and wake her brother up, she suddenly stopped as brother's words from last night floated into her mind.

It was just before they were about to go to sleep when Naruto had said it, and Naruko couldn't help but feel slightly foolish for panicking.

_'__Don't worry about getting up late, Naruko-chan,' _he had said, _'Even though Kakashi-sensei says it's seven in the morning, he meant seven plus three more hours…' _Naruko remembered his deadpan reply that made her laugh her heart out, and the memory put a faint smile of her beautiful face. _'Also, take breakfast too since we shinobi need all the energy we can get to pass this test. Kakashi's order was to test us to see if we were blindingly following his orders, even if his orders are wrong…'_

Naruko smiled to herself as she snuggled deeper into Naruto's embrace. Her wise and knowledgeable Onii-chan, who looks thirteen, had a mind of a seventeen year old and a mentality of a thirty year old. A kind, honest, caring and fun-loving young man, Naruko had always thought those qualities alone would qualify him as a grade A bachelor in many a woman's eye. And to add icing to the cake, Naruto was one of the most powerful shinobi to ever live back during his time and possibly this time as well if he could remaster his techniques, and combine that with his qualities and roguishly handsome features, he was the very definition of a heartthrob – the perfect male.

_Well, maybe not _entirely _perfect, _Naruko thought with a smile and a small blush, as it was a true pipe dream that anyone was perfect, and call oneself perfect was arrogance in itself. She was broken out of her musings when she felt her mental bond being probed, causing her to look up into the half-lidded eyes of Naruto, who was smiling a mischievous smile…

"So… a perfect male, huh?" he grinned widely, causing Naruko to develop a full blown blush on her cheeks, before burying her head into his chest, utterly embarrassed.

"S-Stop reading my mind... dattebane…" she said, voice muffled by Naruto's shirt but the embarrassed edge in her voice was clear.

Naruto chuckled as he patted her head. "Sorry…" he said sheepishly. "But if it's any consolation…thanks for the compliment!" he added cheekily as he grinned.

Naruko pulled away and pouted cutely, still embarrassed as evidenced by the light tinge of pink on her cheeks. "A-Anyway, good morning Onii-chan!" she greeted with a smile.

Naruto smiled. "Morning, did you sleep well?" he asked, and was answered with another yawn from the blonde girl, making him chuckle.

"Tired?" he prompted.

"No, just nervous that's all . . ." Naruko replied as she got up from bed, making her way towards the joined bathroom; she had slept in Naruto's room last night because she didn't have the strength left to trudge back into her own room due to chakra exhaustion. Last night's training session slash outing was exhausting as Naruto literally drilled her about the fundamentals of trap-making, strategic positions, rudimentary fūinjutsu and tactical thinking, which the blonde girl took to like a duck to water.

Another thing that Naruko had noticed was the constant encouragement and praise Naruto was giving her for every achievement, no matter how small, and it made her feel happy for earning each and every praise, even if it's small one. Naruto's constant support and wise demeanor that belied his age made her feel safe and loved… and Naruto wasn't even aware that he was doing it.

And yet another thing to remind her of the warped perception of love her brother had.

Naruto shook his head with a warm smile as he put a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry imōto, you'll do great!" he said, trying to cheer her up, "Remember the plan we talked about last night?" he asked.

At the mention of the plan, Naruko smiled as she nodded, "Of course . . ." she replied with a small giggle as she smiled deviously. Naruto had talked to her about a plan – a last resort just in case everything else went wrong or if their teammates wouldn't cooperate with them – and Naruko had to say, Naruto can be bit ruthless at times . . .

'Alright then, let's get going!" Naruto said as he jumped out of bed, "Wouldn't want to keep our team waiting, and I'm willing to bet that they've been there since this morning . . ." he said with a smirk.

Naruko sighed as she shook her head, exasperated. "Poor Sakura…" she giggled, not feeling the least bit sorry.

"Poor Sasuke…" Naruto said with a chuckle as the Uzumaki siblings got ready for the day ahead, feeling more confident about their chances than ever before.

**~ D ~ R ~**

"You're late!" a certain pink-haired banshee screeched when both Naruto and Naruko arrived at Training Ground Seven ten minutes before ten in the morning, and to say that Sakura was upset was an understatement. She was absolutely livid. Naruto thought she looked like she had went through the wringer with 'Tora the Demon Cat' and came out looking like she did now: disheveled hair that was protruding in multiple places, bloodshot eyes with heavy bags underneath . . . she was a mess.

Naruto sighed as he made his way over to where Sakura and Sasuke were at, fighting down the grin that was threatening to form. "I see that you two didn't take my advice about the legendary tardiness of our sensei . . ." he commented lightly, earning a glare from both teens, Sakura's more pronounced than the subdued Uchiha's, but Naruto could feel the annoyance bubbling up within the raven-haired boy.

Sakura huffed indignantly, "How are we supposed to know that you're telling us the truth? You've only been in this village for a few days!" she said, while Naruto just looked at her with a deadpan expression, one that clearly said, 'are you serious?' Either she didn't notice his expression or just plain ignored it, Sakura pressed on, "Besides, our sensei told us to be here by seven, so we were following his orders!" Naruto sighed as he mentally face palmed; he had forgotten how annoying Sakura was whilst in her fangirl stage, and it was getting on his nerves. A quick glance at Naruko showed him that the blonde girl wasn't faring any better, as she was doing everything in her power to not outright slug Sakura right there and then. Thankfully, it hadn't reached that point yet.

As Sakura was about to launch into another tirade, her stomach betrayed her with a loud rumble, making her flush in embarrassment stopping her cold. A few seconds later, it was followed by a second rumbling coming from the stoic Uchiha who trying hard to maintain his cool façade whilst maintaining what dignity he had left. It was quite amusing for Naruto seeing them in this state, but he had to remind himself that he had to keep to the original timeline, and the only way to achieve that was to ensure that Team Seven passed just like his own did back in his time.

And Naruto vowed to make sure that they succeed; Naruko was counting on him!

"Here," Naruto pulled out two bento boxes seemingly out of nowhere and handed one to Sakura, who was staring at it with hunger in her eyes, "Naruko-chan made extras this morning, so eat up; you need to get your strength back if we're going to beat Kakashi-sensei." He said, causing Sakura's eyes to widen while Sasuke narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Naruko meanwhile just smiled warmly at her brother's generosity.

"B-but Kakashi-sensei told us to _not_ take breakfast! We're going against his orders if we eat this!" Sakura said, and even she knew that it was her mind talking while her whole body wanted nothing more than to just snatch the bento box from the blond boy's grasp and devour it like there was no tomorrow, but she couldn't let them know that, especially Sasuke-kun . . .

Naruto shook his head with a serious expression, "Just eat up. No one's going to know that we've already taken our breakfast," he said with a small smile, making Sakura look at him with wide eyes, "I'm not going to tell him, Naruko-chan's not going to tell him, are you going to tell him?" Seeing her shake her head no, Naruto nodded towards Sasuke's direction, "And I'm pretty sure that Uchiha-san over there wouldn't let it slip past his prestigious lips, isn't that right?" he asked with a smirk, causing Sasuke to scowl deeply at him while Naruko giggled.

Sasuke thought for a few good moments before gave in as he shrugged. "Hn."

Sasuke's customary monosyllabic answer was all Naruto needed to hear before he passed a bento box over to him, which Sasuke took without lifting his gaze lest his teammates see the scowl on his face, very annoyed and slightly angry that his new rival was acting so friendly with him. Sakura, seeing that her crush was finding no trouble in it as well, took up Naruto's offer and wolfed down her lunch, away from the eyes of her team.

"Now that that's settled, let's pass this thing shall we?" Naruto said as he dug his hands into his pockets, leaning against the tree he was under, "Remember, our sensei's a Jōnin, so he will not be easily defeated by mere Genin like us, so I suggest…"

He paused for a moment, as if he was contemplating something, before a smile appeared on his lips. "We work together, all four of us, to pass whatever test sensei's going to throw at us, what do you say?" he asked, smile still in place as he waited for Sakura and Sasuke's answer as he already knew Naruko's answer…

Sakura looked like she was contemplating about Naruto's offer, before an audible scoff sounded from Sasuke. The raven haired boy glared over at Naruto, the empty bento box and Naruto's earlier generosity lying forgotten on the ground.

"Work with you?" Sasuke said condescendingly, making Naruto's smile falter slightly, "No thanks . . . you guys would just slow me down. I'll pass this test on my own, without your help. An Uchiha does not need help." When he finished, Sasuke stood up before walking away.

Sakura looked like she was about to follow him before a firm hand grabbed hold on her upper arm, and Sakura looked up in surprise to see that it was Naruko who was holding her. The blonde girl narrowed her eyes slightly at the general direction where Sasuke had wandered off; she shook her head in exasperation. Damned Uchihas with their overinflated egos . . .

But, Naruko promised herself, she'll be damned if she let Sakura continue on her fangirlish attitude which could most likely get her killed in the future. Sakura needed to understand that life as a kunoichi was a hard one, and if Sakura thinks she wasn't up to the task, she should quit while she still had the chance before she got herself, and the rest of Team Seven killed.

Sakura frowned a little at Naruko, confused as to why the blonde girl was doing. "Naruko, what are you doing?" she asked. _I need to be with Sasuke to comfort him from his confrontation with Naruto. He must be feeling upset . . ._ she thought to herself.

"Sakura," Naruko began; her tone held no room for argument and Sakura wisely kept her mouth shut, "I need you to listen to me, very, _very _carefully." She said seriously, making Sakura gulp slightly at the intimidating stare that Naruko had settled on her, "Do you think becoming a ninja is all about fun and games, about you waiting in your tall tower for a dashing prince charming to come to your rescue?"

Sakura nearly gawked at the blunt way Naruko worded her question, but she didn't had time to refute when Naruko was already onto her again, "Well, let me be blunt about it seeing as you wouldn't listen to me even if your life depended on it — It's not!" she shouted. "In our line of work people get hurt, and sometimes they die if they're not lucky . . . so don't you dare treat this as a game!" Naruko tightened her grip painfully on Sakura's arm, making said girl whimper in pain as she tried to pull away from the blonde girl without success.

"No... stop it!" Sakura pleaded.

Naruko continued, completely ignoring the other girl's plea, "I'm telling you this to save your life Sakura. If you can't see that by now or you're just blind to the truth so that you could be with Sasuke . . . I suggest you to quit. _Now._" Naruko said, putting heavy emphasis on the last word.

Sakura was shocked speechless by Naruko's outburst, her childish mind immediately jumping to the conclusion that Naruko wanted to steal Sasuke all for herself, but the more Sakura thought about it, that idea became rather ridiculous as Naruko had showed no interest whatsoever towards the raven haired Uchiha boy. More than anything, the blonde girl showed more interest towards her new big brother rather than Sasuke, which was a bit puzzling to the Haruno girl.

But still, Naruko's words stung, and the rabid emotions that she had buried deep within her years ago was bubbling up once more, and it took all of Sakura's willpower to not break down in front of everyone.

Sakura hung her head down as she said, "What do mean?" she asked, voice soft as her mind tried to come to terms to what Naruko was implying.

"What I meant was that you should get your act together," Naruko explained, her expression had softened and a small smile was on her lips as an idea formed in her head, "Tell you what, if I tell you the secret to gaining Sasuke's heart, would you hear me out?" she asked.

Sakura nodded her head vigorously as she moved closer towards Naruko, green eyes pleading for her to speak. Even if she and Naruko were not close, any advice coming from the most popular girl in their graduating class would help tremendously in her chances to get Sasuke to take notice of her, and for that, Sakura would do anything to make it up to Naruko.

Naruto, who had been silent all the while Naruko had been lecturing the pink-haired girl, was staring at the scene that was unfolding in front of him with surprise. This was one of the things Naruto had planned to do when he came back, but was afraid of the implications to the timeline should he interfere any more than he already did.

But, fate it seems, was working in his favor as Naruko beat him to the punch, and what's to say that Naruko, not Naruto, cannot change the timeline? Kami surely didn't . . . and most definitely _not _Black Zetsu.

Naruto had to mentally grin at this surprise but welcomed situation, as it provided a loophole in which he could exploit to subtly change the coming events through Naruko without tipping off Black Zetsu, who would only see this as a minor disturbance . . .

Naruko held up a hand, listing off the things she said, "First of all, don't diet," Naruko said, "And that means you eat and not starve yourself to death for the sake of beauty — you look like a walking twig with that body of yours."

Sakura wanted to fume at her words but begrudgingly kept silent as she needed to hear the blonde's next words, no matter how degrading Naruko sounded. "Next, focus on your ninja training rather than gaining Sasuke's attention; trust me, Sasuke will only notice girls who he considers as strong since he's the last of his clan, so he needs strong women to rebuild it."

Sakura nodded slowly as she digested the information, which started to make sense in her mind, "So, what I'm saying is this: be a kunoichi first, annoying fangirl — _never._"

And with that, Naruko released Sakura from her hold making said girl rub the offending spot tenderly, lost in thought as she took a seat underneath the tree she was standing under, while Naruko made her way towards where her brother slash love interest was at. She stood beside him as she looped her arm around his own, snuggling into him, and it was then she noticed that Naruto was staring at her and she fidgeted with one of her pigtails.

"W-What is it?" she asked tentatively.

Naruto shook his head as he smiled. "That's the first time I've seen you lecture someone like that…" Naruto scratched his cheek a little, a small blush forming on his face, "And I have to say, you look adorable when you're serious." He complimented.

Naruko's cheeks reddened a little as she lightly smacked the arm she was holding, earning a mock look of hurt on Naruto's face, making her laugh.

"Thank you!" she chirped. "You're the best, Onii-chan!"

Naruto chuckled, a small dust of pink on his cheeks, as he turned to look over the training grounds, eyes focusing on nothing in particular, with Naruko just content with holding his arm.

The four Genin waited in comfortable silence for another ten minutes, before a poof of what sounded like smoke was heard, and all four teens turned to look at their silver-haired Jōnin-sensei standing in front of them, an eye smile on his visible eye.

"Yo."

**~ D ~ R ~**

**And we are done!**

**Okay! Another rewrite guys! Cut out the confession part as well, instead I added a sort-of pseudo confession scene at the beginning. It will make sense in the long run, I promise.**

**I've been brainstorming again and again about how to ease into Naruto and Naruko's relationship without it being seen as too fast and unrealistic, so I came up with this one: a Naruto that doesn't know love! Crazy right? It's a small change from the original where Naruko makes a huge confession out of it, but instead we see out favorite Kitsune Bijū helping out his containers in any way he can.**

**So anyway, I'm planning to let them continue their brother-sister relationship while Naruto's learns about what love is actually about with Naruko's help, so the romance will have a slow build up in the beginning, but expect more NaruNaru bonding time in each or alternate chapters, this I can promise you guys!**

**Secondly, my final year exams are coming up so it's also eating up my writing time since I need to pass this test! (T.T) But don't worry, once my college exams are done I'll continue this work, since it's my first fanfic, my pride and joy, and I plan to finish it by covering the manga/anime Parts 1 and 2, so expect more chapters in the future.**

**And as always, leave a review, favorite and subscribe! And holy-crap-on-a-stick! 249 reviews!? That's insane! I know some other first fanfics that get less than a third of this number, so THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! And 1,000+ follows and 904 favorites? Insane I tell you guys, INSANE!**

**Oh, btw, I have a forum now. You can see the link on my profile.**

**Thank you! Arigato, minna! **

**This is HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE!**


	9. The Bell Test! Team 7, Assemble!

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Nine: The Bell Test! Team Seven, Assemble!**

* * *

"You're late!" Sakura yelled, although a bit more subdued, for a second time that day at Kakashi who just stood there with an eye in a visible U-shape. Naruto on the other hand was having a nostalgic feeling of déjà vu when Kakashi arrived, making the blonde boy quietly chuckle at the silver-haired man's tardiness. Back in his time, Naruto faintly remembered that Kakashi was recuperating from chakra exhaustion after their brawl with Kaguya, and Naruto felt that he had failed the man by letting Kaguya win the Fourth Shinobi World War.

Sasuke glared at Kakashi with his trademark Uchiha glare while Naruko, already forewarned by Naruto, just shook her head in mild amusement at her teammate's reactions. While she understood their frustrations, Naruko was not the least bit sorry for their plight. Not even a little, rather she was enjoying their annoyance as much as she enjoyed spending time with Naruto.

Kakashi had the decency to look sheepish, "Sorry about that, a black cat crossed my path this morning so I had to take the long way around," he explained with an eye smile. The rest of Team Seven, minus the Uzumaki siblings, just face-faulted at the Jōnin's ridiculous excuse, and they couldn't help but be annoyed by the seemingly aloof and laid back man. But, both Naruto and Naruko knew better than to judge Kakashi's character by its cover.

Shinobi Golden Rule Number One: Deception is a shinobi's greatest weapon.

Kakashi coughed into his fist, gaining their attention as he turned serious. "Alright, let's start the test shall we?" he walked over to the three wooden training stumps in the middle of the field as he fumbled for something in his pants pocket, "The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can be rid of you runts . . ." Kakashi said in his usual carefree tone, making Sakura and Sasuke fume, while Naruko had to refrain from twitching her eyebrow as Naruto tried to calm her down, reminding her again that Kakashi's greatest strength was his uncanny ability to rile people up, as a certain Maito Gai can attest to.

After fumbling around for a few more minutes, Kakashi finally pulled out an alarm clock from his pants before placing it on top of the middle stump, setting the timer as he did so. He turned back to face his students as he fished out another object, this time from his flak jacket breast pocket: a pair of bells. Kakashi then proceeded to tie them to his waist as he spoke, letting them hang freely before he looked at his team, his aloofness plain for all to see.

"Now then, see these bells I've got hanging here?" Kakashi asked gesturing towards said bells, earning nods in return, "your objective is simple: take them, and you pass." He explained with an eye smile.

Naruto inwardly smirked. _You'd do well not to underestimate Team Seven Kakashi-sensei . . . especially Naruko-chan. _He thought.

Sakura looked confused as she raised her hand. "But sensei, there are only two bells, but there are only four of us? . . ." she asked in bewilderment, one that was also shared by Sasuke albeit with an accompanying scowl.

But Naruto and Naruko were anything but bewildered as they kept their guard up.

They had already figured out Kakashi's intentions.

Putting Naruto's memories aside, any shinobi worth his or her hitai-ate would immediately sense that something was wrong the moment the bells were pulled out, and that doubt was further confirmed when their objective was to simply take them from their instructor, a Jōnin-level shinobi. Anybody with enough common sense could clearly see that newly minted Genin could _never_ match up to a Jōnin, no matter how hard they try.

Not by a long shot.

Kakashi's eye smile actually sent shivers of dread down Sakura's spine, "I thought that would be obvious; since there are only two bells, only two of you will pass." Kakashi explained, making Team Seven gasp in shock and dread, but the silver-haired man wasn't done yet as he decided to stir the pot a little more, "Naruto's an exception in this case, since I'm just his retainer and not his Jōnin-sensei. He will pass even if he didn't get the bells . . ." he continued.

The fallout of his statement was immediate and violent, as Sakura immediately yelled, "What?! But that's not fair! Why is he getting special treatment?! He only joined us today!"

Meanwhile, Sasuke just glared bloody murder at the blonde haired boy in hopes that his glare alone could simultaneously combust the blonde he considered the second coming of Itachi.

Kakashi just continued to eye smile, inwardly enjoying the tormented looks on his Genin's faces. "Too bad it's my decision and your unlucky day, so deal with it!" he cheerfully said, earning death glares from two of his team. He was curious though about the reactions of the Uzumaki siblings.

Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly at Kakashi's announcement as it just made him 'Public Enemy Number One' in Sasuke and Sakura's eyes and will in turn make working with them become even more difficult than it already was. Naruto was certain that Kakashi did it on purpose to further disrupt their team cohesion so that each of them would then try to get the bells on their own, which they were doomed to fail. Naruto thought that this situation must be one of the so called ripples in this dimension due to his arrival . . .

Nevertheless, even though it's unexpected, Naruto already had backups for these kinds of situations. He was not known as the Number One Most Unpredictable Hyperactive Ninja for nothing.

Naruko on the other hand had crossed her arms in front of her chest, and was tapping her fingers on her upper arm in annoyance. Their sensei's blatant attempt to have her teammates antagonize her onii-chan had unfortunately worked to perfection as Sasuke and Sakura were giving Naruto several dirty looks, and it took all of Naruko's willpower to not snap at those two.

Kakashi cleared his throat as he spoke seriously, "You four have two hours to get these two bells from me, and the ones who fail will be tied to one of these posts," he gestured towards the training stumps as he produced three bento boxes from behind him, "and watch the others eat while they're tied up." He finished cheerfully.

The reaction was not what he was expecting. What he was expecting were rumbling stomachs and petulant whines from his cute little Genin, but that was not the case as Kakashi arched an eyebrow at the silence that greeted him, causing him to narrow his lone eye.

"You guys ate breakfast, didn't you?" he asked bluntly.

Naruto chuckled as Naruko giggled while Sasuke and Sakura were busy being dumbfounded. "Whatever do you mean sensei?" he asked innocently, causing Naruko to hold her hand to her mouth to stop the burst of giggles that were threatening to break out. Albeit, barely.

Kakashi sighed as he put the bento boxes away, "I'll just pretend that you guys hadn't disobeyed a direct order. . ." he said, his mind working to comprehend why had his students disobeyed his orders, as he was sure they would follow them to the letter as fresh Genin would. Kakashi pushed the thought to the back of his mind however, reasoning that he would revisit them after the test.

Kakashi stood in front of Team Seven plus Naruto as he spoke again, "Alright, same as before; two hours, take the bells from me and you pass. If you don't, you fail." The fresh Genin nodded in affirmation as Kakashi continued. "Come at me with the intent to kill. You are allowed to use any weapons and jutsus to take these bells from me, including shuriken . . ."

"B-But sensei!" Sakura said, "Wouldn't you get hurt?"

Naruko rolled her eyes at the pink haired girl's question while Naruto just shook his head in disbelief at her naivety. Sasuke just ignored Sakura's outburst, opting to dig his hands into his pockets and wait for the test to start. Kakashi just eye smiled at her.

"Don't worry about me," Kakashi said, amused. "I'm pretty sure I can protect myself." Although it was faint, but Naruto caught the slight condescending tone he used to answer Sakura's question, and truthfully Naruto couldn't blame the silver haired man.

A moment passed before Kakashi spoke again, "As I said before, come at me with the intent to kill, because if you don't, you won't take these bells from me." The Genin nodded as they turned serious, "Alright then, your two hours starts . . ."

Naruto tensed as he closed his eyes and took a calming breath, feeling the familiar warmth of his chakra coils flaring to life and overflowing his body as he focused chakra into his legs while sending a slight nudge to Naruko who nodded slightly as Kakashi finished.

"Now!"

And with that, all four Genin jumped back and disappeared from sight, earning a hum of appreciation from Kakashi.

_They know how to hide themselves at least, _He mentally thought as he dug into his hip pouch, before stopping suddenly as he sighed.

"You know, compared to the others in your team, you're a little . . . weird." He deadpanned as he turned to face a blonde haired girl, who was smiling at him gracefully.

"I'm hurt Kakashi-sensei, why would you even suggest that?" Naruko said with a giggle, causing Kakashi to arch an eyebrow at her behavior. "I just want to get to know my sensei more, that's all." She finished with a cute smile.

Kakashi sweat dropped a little. ". . . Aren't you worried that you'll fail the test?" he asked, confusion lacing his tone, "Or are you so confident in your own abilities that you could take these bells from me head on?" he all but mocked, attempting to rile up the blonde's famous Uzumaki temper.

But to his surprise, Naruko just shook her head. "No, nothing like that; I know my own strength Kakashi-sensei . . ." she said, making Kakashi inwardly praise her modesty, "I can't beat you at the level I am now, so I'll just do this!" she yelled when she suddenly whipped out a kunai and threw it at him.

Kakashi reacted on instinct as he twisted his body slightly, not even moving from his spot to let the kunai harmlessly sail through. He could tell that the throw was sloppier than it looked, as it lacked the usual speed and accuracy which her Academy report mentioned. The report stated that she excelled in shurikenjutsu and was considered a natural. The Jōnin doubted that Naruko's sloppy throw had been a coincidence.

And sure enough, as the kunai was about to sail past him, he spotted two spherical sacks attached to them, making his eyes widen in surprise.

_Flash Bomb!_ He mentally said before quickly shutting his eyes lest he be blinded by the aforementioned bombs. The bomb exploded in a blinding flash of bright light as Kakashi, having been temporarily blinded, relied on his hearing to predict Naruko's movements and not a moment later he heard the distinct whistling sounds of thrown weapons, probably more kunai. Pulling out his own kunai, he blocked all the kunais easily and when he had regained his eyesight, he was greeted with the sight of another kunai that embedded itself in front on him, but his eyes were drawn towards the sizzling tag attached to it.

He cursed as he jumped backwards before the tag exploded, managing to singe his clothes in multiple places but otherwise left him unharmed. As he landed, Kakashi couldn't help but shake his head in amazement. Naruko was taking this test very seriously when she would even resort to paper bombs to fight him.

Kakashi looked up when he had regained his bearings, only to see Naruko charging at him as they both proceeded to engage in a flurry of taijutsu combat. Kakashi didn't even have the time to pull out his favorite book as he had underestimated the blonde girl's proficiency in taijutsu, and he was forced to use both hands to block and deflect her strikes. Naruko's strikes were swift, like fighting a serpent, as she wasted no time to take advantage of any openings or weaknesses she found in his defense, which were very few. Naruko's style of taijutsu greatly resembles the snake style taijutsu with one major difference: she hits hard.

The short bout came to an end when Kakashi caught one of Naruko's jabs, redirecting it while using her momentum to throw her away to the side, adding a light jab to her back for good measure as Kakashi watched her stumble forward before the most unexpected thing happened.

Naruko disappeared in a plume of smoke.

Kakashi narrowed his lone eye. _Kage Bunshin? _He mentally thought. _Does she already know the secondary abilities of the Kage Bunshin? _

The **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique)** wasn't just used as a distraction or was it primarily a combat technique; it was a deep scouting technique developed by the Nidaime Hokage during his reign to minimize scouting casualties in deep strike missions. The clone's 'memories' or experiences so to speak during their existence, when dispelled, are sent back to the original. Therefore, shinobi who knew this technique can safely send a clone to scout out ahead without fear of enemy retaliation and the memory transfer makes it as if the user was there in person.

Kakashi chuckled lowly to himself as he straightened up while dusting his clothes, greatly impressed by the way Naruko used her clones to probe his defenses and analyze his moves. He couldn't help but feel proud of his sensei's child.

"Now . . ." he said as he turned in the direction of the forest, eyes crinkling in mirth. "Who should I go for next?" he asked no one in particular as he took off into the trees, heading to his next victim.

* * *

Naruko stiffened as she opened her beautiful violet eyes when the memories of her clone came back to her, causing Naruto, who was right beside her to look at her expectantly.

"So, how did it go?" Naruto asked.

Naruko shook her head in amazement. "You're not kidding when you said we couldn't beat him head on, he wasn't even trying when he fought my shadow clone . . ." she said in awe and also a little worry. Naruto had given her a tip about her shadow clones transferring their memories to the original, and so she had come up a plan to send her own clones to analyze Kakashi's fighting style, which were very advanced.

Naruto chuckled as he smiled. "He may be lazy and a bit of a pervert, but he's one of the strongest shinobi in Konoha; not many people can compare to that." He explained sagely, comforting his slightly miffed sister, "Did he read his smut while you're fighting him?" he asked.

A small frown made its way onto Naruko's face at the thought of Kakashi's favorite pastime. "As if I'll let him, my tolerance has limits along with my patience, dattebane . . ." she said, blushing slightly at her slip of using her verbal tic.

Naruto just patted her head as he smiled, rubbing the back of his sheepishly. "That means you're already doing great!" Naruko smiled at his encouragement, warmth filling her heart as she tilted her head asking him to elaborate further. "When Kakashi-sensei pulls out his smut while you're fighting him, that means you're not worth his time and he'll beat you easily, like what happened to me the first time . . ." he admitted, embarrassment coloring his tone as he flushed.

Naruko giggled as she smiled brightly, "Thank you, Onii-chan! That makes me feel a whole lot better."

Naruto grinned. "No problem."

The Uzumaki twins were currently sitting on one of the thick branches of the tree they were on which was in the middle of the great forest surrounding Training Ground Seven, their backs to the tree trunk while keeping their eyes sharp for any movement. They had regrouped at one of their predetermined meeting points and were trying to find where Sasuke and Sakura had run off to, only to discard that idea as Naruko had sensed Kakashi moving in on them when Naruko's clone dispelled. Their own chakra signatures were suppressed thanks to Kurama's intervention and were currently planning their next move.

Naruko closed her eyes as she stretched out with her chakra, "Hmm . . . Sakura's chakra is agitated; must be under a genjutsu . . ." as soon as she said that a loud, ear-splitting feminine scream of horror echoed throughout the forest, making both Naruto and Naruko sigh in exasperation at the obvious weak link of Team Seven. That girl _really_ needed work if she were to become a decent kunoichi.

"I guess Sakura's out . . ." Naruto commented lightly with a grin.

Naruko shook her head. "And knowing Sasuke, he'll probably think he's strong enough to take sensei head on and attack recklessly." She summarized, and as soon as she said that, multiple explosions were heard echoing throughout the forest, causing Naruto to hang his head in embarrassment; embarrassed not at Naruko or himself, but at Sasuke and Sakura. By Kami-sama above, were they really _that _bad during the first time around?

Naruto thought for a moment, pondering over his last thoughts before slumping down in defeat as he couldn't find any evidence in his memories to suggest that they were _not_ that pathetic during their test back in his time . . .

"Onii-chan, was it this bad during your test in your dimension?" Naruko asked, making Naruto flush further in embarrassment as he hung his head down lower.

". . . worse." Was the only reply.

Naruko blinked, before a brief memory from Naruto's childhood flashed in her mind, causing her to scratch her cheek with a nervous laugh. "I see your point, sorry."

"Nah, no big deal, besides," Naruto said with a smile, "With you by my side, there is no way we can be beaten! I'll fight even the Shinigami himself if that's what it takes!" he declared with conviction, mindful of the fact that he had placed down a silencing seal beforehand to minimize the risk of detection.

Naruko blushed crimson when Naruto said that and she smiled. "Hopefully it won't come to that," she giggled, "Now come on, let's go see if we can convince them to work with us." She suggested as she stood up, with Naruto following suit.

"Alright then, lead the way."

And with that, they both leaped away into the tree line, making a beeline towards their closest teammate: Sakura.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kakashi had just finished pulling Sasuke down into the ground with his **Dōton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique) **and was currently standing over his student, who was glaring at him with only his head above the ground. Frankly speaking, it was kind of hilarious.

Sasuke glared and growled as he tried to free himself from his position, which he found was rather difficult with his body movement restricted. He had been so close to getting the bells, a small caress to be exact, but he had come closer than anyone else in getting the bells, not even Naruko, and certainly not her dobe of a brother. He was quietly watching from the bushes when Naruko had engaged their sensei in taijutsu which he found impressive since Naruko matched the Jōnin blow for blow but even she was outmatched. Sasuke half expected Naruto to show up to challenge the silver haired man, but the dobe had been a no show. What a damn coward.

Kakashi smiled down at Sasuke. "Do you still think you can take these bells, Sasuke?" he asked, earning a growl from the raven head before Kakashi turned and walked into the forest, reading his book and leaving a fuming Sasuke behind. The boy held potential since he had forced Kakashi to put away his novel to fight him seriously, and the Uchiha had shocked him by performing a C-Rank Fire Release ninjutsu which almost left him burned, if not for his timed usage of his earth technique. Along with decent skill in trap-setting, tactical planning and taijutsu, the boy was going to be strong when he got older . . . if Kakashi managed to get him out of his power hungry mentality and focused more on protecting the village.

Kakashi sighed. He's still got a long way to go with Sasuke, and he hoped it would be enough for Sasuke to not betray Konoha for the sake of vengeance. He stopped walking when he felt something odd.

Since the beginning of the test, he had clearly sensed the chakra signatures of each of his students and had kept tracked of them when he went on the hunt for them. He had sensed Sakura's signature easy enough and had knocked her out, and Sasuke's signature was like a bonfire in the night, making him fairly easy to track.

But Naruto and Naruko's chakra signatures had quite simply, _vanished_ from his senses.

Kakashi couldn't even detect a hint, not even a sliver of chakra radiating from those two, and he wondered briefly if they had left the training ground, but decided it was preposterous as Naruko had wanted to become Hokage when she got older, and was sure Naruto would never leave her side no matter what.

But the question remains: where are they?

As he made his way towards the direction of Sakura's chakra signature, he idly wondered if this team along with the blonde haired boy will finally pass his test, as so far the first two members he had encountered had shown little promise. Now his task was to find the Uzumakis before the time runs out, or he could just stand in the clearing and wait for it the end? Idly checking his wristwatch, and noted only fifty minutes had passed.

He shrugged before pivoting on his heels as he headed towards the clearing, intending to get some reading done since he was at the half-way point of the book. He was confident that within the time limit left, his four charges would have failed the test since they can't do too much in that time unless they worked together, which as highly unlikely in his opinion, and inevitably some of them would have to be punished.

* * *

Sakura groaned as she regained consciousness and pulled herself up into a sitting position, cradling her aching head to ward off the dizziness that threatened to take hold. She couldn't help but curse herself inwardly for her own weakness. The last thing she remembered was Kakashi sneaking up on her and apparently trapping her in some sort of genjutsu where she saw the broken and bloody form of Sasuke limping towards her, blood dripping from his mouth calling out for her to help him.

She had let out an ear-piercing scream at first, but somewhere in between her rational thought processes came back to her and she had immediately forced herself to calm down to assess the situation. Determining that it was a genjutsu, she disrupted her chakra flow by performing a ram seal, cancelling the genjutsu. Sakura had smirked in triumph then, before she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck before her world was consumed by darkness. Obviously Kakashi-sensei had knocked her out.

Sakura sighed as she crossed her arms, hanging her head down dejectedly. "I didn't even saw him coming . . . maybe Naruko's right; I'm not cut out to be a kunoichi." She muttered sadly to herself.

"Admitting that you're not cut out for this shows just how far you have come, Sakura."

Yelping in surprise, Sakura turned to find the source of the voice, which turned out to be Naruko who was standing behind her with a small smile. Naruto landed right beside his sister in an instant, cerulean eyes twinkling in amusement. Sakura shook her head slightly before looking down, unsure of what she should say.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked quietly, but in the quiet forest she might as well have shouted.

Naruko knelt down in front of her before putting both hands on her shoulders gently, making the pink haired Haruno girl look up at the blonde in confusion, and a little surprise. From what she knew of their relationship, it was never more than an acquaintance, never a friend but bordering dangerously on becoming a foe. Sakura was a fangirl who took care of her appearance and book smarts, while Naruko focused on her training and other shinobi related skills and didn't even give a damn about her appearance. Plus, Naruko _hated_ fangirls with an unyielding passion, and Sakura fitted the bill as the most annoying and useless fangirl to date. There was nothing in their previous encounters that suggested that they would be evenly remotely close to be calling friends . . .

So, why was Naruko suddenly acting so friendly with her?

Naruko just smiled gently at her. "It means that you admitted your own faults on your own volition . . ." she explained, "Acknowledging one's weakness is the hardest thing that anyone could have done, and that shows strength in your character that most people lack."

Sakura's eyes widened in shock, first at the praise but also the fact that Naruko; the most popular girl in the Academy and her; a useless fangirl, whom the former thought of as the bane of all existence, was the one praising _her_! It was too surreal for the pink haired that she had trouble putting her thoughts together before the blonde beauty spoke once more.

"I admit Sakura, that I'm surprised that you came around just after listening to my little pep talk earlier," Naruko confessed, smiling as she did, "I thought I was gonna drag you by your hair, kicking and screaming until I've got my point across to you. Glad it didn't come to that point yet . . ." Sakura gulped as she sweated bullets at Naruko's blunt way of veiling her threat, which was of course _very_ scary to the pink haired girl. "But this is a conversation we'll have to continue at a later time, for now we need your help." Naruko said seriously.

Sakura frowned, "My help? For what?" she muttered before it suddenly clicked in her mind, "You want me to work together with you to get the bells." she said in realization.

Naruko nodded. "You catch on quick, looks like those books smarts of yours _are_ good for _something_ . . ." she said, earning a face fault from Sakura and a chuckle from Naruto.

"Now, now Naruko-chan, be nice." Chided Naruto lightly as he grinned, "We need her to work with us you know."

"You're no fun."

"Last night's training proved otherwise."

Naruko blushed slightly as she got up and lightly smacked his arm, "That's different!" she defended, blush still present on her cheeks. "And it's training! It's supposed to be fun!"

Naruto laughed as he patted her head, making her pout. "Alright, you win. Ramen after the test as an apology, what do you say?" he asked with a warm smile, making her nod happily as she cheered causing him to laugh lightly.

Sakura shook her head slightly at the scene in front of her with a giggle. Watching the Uzumaki sibling's lighthearted bantering was actually cute and refreshing to see, and it made Sakura forget about her inadequacy as a kunoichi for the time being. It's just something about their aura and presence that makes her want to smile and laugh with them. It was warm, bright and calm . . . like a small sun that seems to pull the people around them.

Naruko smiled as she turned to Sakura. "So, what do you say?" she asked with an eager expression, one which Sakura was currently seeing instead of the usual glare or look of annoyance that she was accustomed to. It felt . . . nice, like she was being accepted by the blonde girl, which secretly made the Haruno girl happy.

Sakura just smiled, acceptance and gratitude was reflected in her eyes. "What do I need to do?"

This time it was Naruto who stepped forward as he offered his hand to her, one which she accepted as he pulled her to stand.

Naruto nodded. "I'll tell you on the way, but right now we need to go see if duck-butt's okay," he said, "Can't have his royal pompous ass left behind in the ditch, right?" he joked.

Sakura frowned and was about to retort when Naruko lightly slapped him upside of the heat, making him hold the spot in mock pain. "Language Onii-chan." She chided.

"Sumimasen . . ." Naruto apologized sheepishly.

Sakura sighed as she decided to let it slide for now for Naruto's derogatory remark of Sasuke, but some part of her actually found it pretty funny. "Alright then, lead the way."

The three of them only took less than five minutes with Naruko in the lead since she's the best sensor of Team Seven to reach where Sasuke was, and Sakura had to clamp her mouth down tightly to avoid screaming at seeing only the head of Sasuke on the ground, glaring daggers at the three of them in annoyance. After calming herself down, she looked on to see Naruko giggling while Naruto arch an eyebrow in amusement.

"What's the matter Uchiha-san?" Naruto asked with a small grin, looking down on Sasuke from his height, "In over your head?"

Sasuke growled at Naruto's attempt at the joke as he glared bloody murder at the blonde boy. "Normally I would make you eat those words, dobe." he growled out, "But I don't have time for this! Get me out!" he yelled.

Naruto sighed as he closed his eyes to master his growing annoyance. "I'll get you out, but first are you willing to work with Sakura and Naruko-chan as a team?" he asked carefully, knowing the egotistic and hotheaded Uchiha would more than likely refuse such a request.

Sasuke scoffed, as predicted. "Why would I? They'll just slow me down, besides," he sneered, "I don't need your help; I can get the bells on my own as I've almost gotten them when I fought Kakashi."

Naruko narrowed her eyes at Sasuke's arrogance along with his rudeness for addressing their sensei without the honorific. It's just some of the qualities that she despised in Sasuke; and that was why his every attempt in wooing her ended up in failure because she repeatedly shot him down. Naruko had no problems being as his friend, but nothing more. Besides, he still needs to get his stick out of his butt in order to fulfill even _that_ requirement for being her friend. If she were given a choice between choosing Sasuke or Naruto as her friend, she would choose the latter any day without a single thought.

Naruto opened his eyes and stared down at him as his gaze hardened slightly. "It's that your final answer?" he asked lowly.

Sasuke merely held his head up, even in his position while staring up defiantly with his own onyx eyes and one could almost see the sparks flaring between them as they stared each other down, Sasuke glaring while Naruto merely adopted a neutral expression.

After a minute or two of tense silence, Naruto was the first to break it as he sighed. "If that is your wish, then I will honor it to the best of my ability." He said politely, earning a shocked gasp from the two females and a smug grin from the raven haired boy. He then turned to his two other companions. "Let's go, we're wasting time here." He said and was about to walk off when Sasuke shouted.

"Hey! What about getting me out of this, dobe?!"

Naruto grinned as he continued walking. "You said you didn't need our help, so help yourself out of that hole, Uchiha-san." He said with mirth in his tone.

Sakura was about to protest when Naruko just grabbed her arm and pulled her along roughly, leaving a fuming and cursing Sasuke behind as they walked away – his string of curses were so colorful that it would make a sailor blush. Once out of hearing range, Sakura finally asked her unasked question with barely contained anger, "Why did you leave him behind?! We should've helped him!"

Naruko sighed as she turned to Sakura and spoke seriously, "To teach him a lesson." At Sakura's angry questioning look, Naruko continued, "He has to be willing to work with other people if this team is to work. We're named Team Seven for a reason, and that means teammates work together." She explained.

Sakura pointed at Naruto. "But your brother's not part of Team Seven, so why is he helping us?" she asked.

This time it was Naruto who answered. "Simple, because I don't care we're not even in the same team; we are Konoha shinobi, we look out for each other." He explained with a small smile. "My parents entrusted me with their Will of Fire, which is the desire to protect those precious to me and this village. Konoha is the tree and we are the leaves, and each leaf is connected by the branches; in short we are one big family."

Sakura was in awe as she listened. She was amazed by the maturity in which he spoke, and the deep understanding of their village's philosophy. She had heard from the older adults about the Will of Fire, but she herself didn't know much of it besides it encompassing the way of life of every Konoha shinobi. Her respect for the brother of her teammate grew a little after that, and she couldn't help but get jealous of her lucky blonde haired teammate.

Naruko just beamed proudly at her brother when he spoke. This was the Onii-chan she knew and love.

Sakura nodded as she turned serious, "Okay, I understand why you left Sasuke-kun behind . . ." he said begrudgingly.

Naruko placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry, Sasuke will come out of it, I'm sure. If not, well . . ." she said mischievously with a devilish smirk, making Sakura shudder slightly in fright, "Pray to Kami that he _will _come about, okay?"

Naruto shook his head as he heard that as his sister's animosity towards Sasuke was even greater than his was back during his time. "Okay, listen up, here's what we're going to do . . ." he started to explain his plan to Sakura, who just quietly listened and nodded every once in a while, and when he was done, Sakura was cracking her knuckles with a sickening sweet smile on her face.

"It's payback time for making me wake up that early . . ." she ominously said, making Naruko grin as Naruto inched away from her in slight discomfort, reminding him _way _too much of the Sakura in his time. Naruto cleared his throat before the trio leaped into the tree line, heading in the general direction of their sensei to set their plan in motion.

* * *

Kakashi looked up from his book as he sensed the approach of one of his students, and to his surprise it was Sakura heading in a straight beeline to where he was at. He had not expected the weak link of Team Seven to charge him head on since she was so laughably weak in all aspects of shinobi combat. But still, Kakashi admired her gutsiness to continue, even if it was futile. Besides, he was getting bored just reading for another hour, not that he would mind. He idly wondered where the rest of his students were at . . .

He was broken out of his thoughts when he sensed incoming projectiles heading his way. He side stepped them easily and the kunai sailed past him and impacted harmlessly into the ground. More kunais along with shuriken flew at him, making him drop his book back into his pouch and pull out a kunai to better deflect them as their numbers just kept on coming. The Jōnin blocked a few more of the thrown weapons before leaping away from the tree line, sensing Sakura was still in there waiting to attack.

This confused Kakashi. In the reports, Sakura's weapons proficiency was average at best, but the weapons thrown were definitely _not _average judging by the speed and accuracy in which they targeted specific areas of his body; arms, legs, torso, jugular, heart, eye and other vulnerable areas. He didn't have the time to think however when several of Naruko's shadow clones emerged from the forest and charged at him straight on, making his eyes widen in surprise and shock. How did he not sense her until she had showed herself? Had she learned to suppress her chakra?

Blocking a blow from one of the clones, Kakashi swiftly elbowed another behind him before backhanding another, making them dispel. He then followed up with a low sweeping kick that knocked a few of the clones down, making them dispel also. He turned and saw more clones coming his way and he back flipped away from them before charging in, with Naruko's clones yelling out an incoherent war cry before they engaged in and fought hand to hand. Kakashi easily dispatched the multiple shadow clones as he was seen lazily sidestepping their jabs, having already known their attack patterns, before hitting them with just enough force for them to disperse. A few minutes later, all the clones were gone, leaving Kakashi alone with the original.

Kakashi turned to see the real Naruko standing in front of him, kunai in hand in a ready stance, violet eyes alert for any movement from him. Kakashi couldn't help but she the remarkable resemblance of Kushina in Naruko, and he couldn't help but smile inwardly. She was going to go far.

"Well, you're sure are full of surprises blondie," Kakashi drawled out lazily, "but it takes more than that to take these bells." He taunted.

Naruko shrugged as she held up her kunai. "I'll take my chances." She replied smoothly.

Kakashi sighed before settling into his own taijutsu stance. "Well let me teach you something today." He said, making Naruko tense in preparation. "Lesson One: Taijutsu." He said before charging.

Naruko grunted as she blocked a blow aimed for her solar plexus, before she barely dodged another that was aimed for her chest. Naruko was immediately on the defensive as she was pushed back and back, blocking and deflecting the experienced Jōnin's fast strikes. Seeing an opening, she tried for a punch at his face, only for it be to caught before Kakashi used her momentum to throw her forward behind him, causing her to be briefly lifted into the air and thrown like a rag doll. Her short stature didn't help too since it made it easier for her to be thrown.

In mid throw, Naruko quickly twisted her body around while slashing at him with her kunai, making Kakashi duck under it while completely throwing her away, which she twisted her body once more to throw two kunai at him, and since he was too close to leap away, Kakashi just angled his body so that the knives just sailed harmlessly by. He was impressed by the way she utilized her situation to her advantage, along with her flexibility and precision in which she had thrown her weapons in midair while she had been thrown. Not many kunoichi, let alone Genin can do that.

Pushing herself to stand, Naruko panted a bit as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. This man was no joke. Not even probing with her Kage Bunshin had prepared her for actually fighting him. He was very obviously way out of her league.

Still, Naruko remained calm as she took her taijutsu stance. She needed to conserve her kunai since she had used up a lot of them in the beginning along with Sakura who was still waiting for her opportunity to strike. She knew she couldn't beat Kakashi, not by a long shot. But, she reminded herself, Naruko only needed to keep the Jōnin distracted long enough for their plan to actually work . . .

"You should pay more attention to your opponent." drawled the voice of Kakashi.

She was broken out of her thoughts when Kakashi was on to her again as she blocked a blow aimed for her stomach before blocking another aimed at her ribs. She twisted out of another blow before lashing out with a kick at the man's shin, which he easily evaded. Naruko grunted as Kakashi was starting to get hits in on her body, crying out slightly when a glancing blow to her face almost connected his fist with her jaw if not for her timely back roll away from the Jōnin. Damn, even if she was a girl, the man hits hard.

Finally finding an apparent opening, Naruko immediately lashed out with a punch at the man . . . only to hit air as she stumbled forward a little.

"What?" she said softly to herself as she looked around, trying to find where her sensei was at. Her sensing ability was disrupted thanks to Kakashi flooding the clearing with his residue chakra, making it harder to locate him. Naruko was about to drop out of her taijutsu stance when she heard Sakura cry out to her from her hidden position in the forest near the clearing, face pale and eyes wide with fear.

"Naruko! Get out of there! He's going to use a Fire Jutsu on you!" Sakura yelled at the top of her lungs, making Naruko's eyes widen in surprise before she looked behind her to see Kakashi smiling at her with his eye smile and his hand in a tiger seal, kneeling behind her.

Kakashi eye smiled. "You should pay more attention to your surroundings . . ." he lectured as he called out his apparent 'jutsu', "**Konohagakure Hiden Taijutsu Ōgi –" **Naruko's face paled a few shades of white as she tried to struggle away from Kakashi, already knowing what he was about to do, "**Sennen Goroshi! (Konohagakure Hiden Secret Taijutsu Technique: One Thousand Years of Death)**" he finished as he thrusted his hands up in a stabbing motion aimed at her rear.

"Don't you dare ero-sensei!" Naruko screamed out in fear of her rear being violated as she closed her eyes for the inevitable pain . . .

Suddenly, before the embarrassing technique could connect, Kakashi's danger senses went haywire as he stopped halfway before immediately leaning his head back to dodge a kunai that was thrown at his head, sparing Naruko from the embarrassment. Kakashi had only seconds to come to his senses before an unexpected, earth-shattering punch connected to the side his face, sending him flying to the side painfully.

Kakashi groaned a bit as he nursed his bruised cheek as he felt some of his cheekbones might have cracked from the impact; it was like getting hit by a condensed version of a stampede all in a single punch. Kakashi quickly got up and what he saw made him flinch back as a _huge _wave of killing intent slammed into him.

Opening her eyes as the pain never came; Naruko looked behind her and she gasped in shock to see Naruto standing there, his face a calm neutral façade as he stared directly at Kakashi, but she knew the telltale signs of her brother being absolutely _livid_. The slight tensing of his muscles, the clenching of his fists, the trembling of his frame and his eyes . . . those beautiful cerulean blues were now an arctic icy blue, as the blonde young man glared menacingly at their sensei.

Sakura was also gaping in shock. Naruto was too fast for her eye to follow. One minute Kakashi was about to connect his fingers to Naruko's rear, the next Kakashi was stumbling on the ground with an absolutely pissed looking Naruto standing protectively in front of his sister.

Naruto gritted his teeth. "Kakashi-sensei . . ." he growled out, "What _exactly_ are you planning to do to my imōto?" he asked in a grave tone that promised pain if the wrong answer was given.

Kakashi had the decency to rub the back of his head sheepishly as he chuckled nervously, knowing that he had unknowingly kicked the hornet's nest. "Eh heh, sorry?" he said lamely.

Naruto held his hand in a ram seal as he flared his chakra. "Sorry just doesn't cut it when you tried to violate my cute little sister's butt you pedophile!" he yelled out in absolute rage as he activated the multiple seals around the training ground as he continued, "No one touches my imōto and gets away with it, especially pedophiles like you . . ." on the outside he was furious, but on the inside, he was laughing at Kakashi's misfortune of gaining his ire. He held no ill will towards his favorite sensei, but he drew the line when it came to Naruko.

Sure, doing it on a boy was alright in his opinion, but on a girl? Now, Kakashi needed to learn what Naruko meant to Naruto as he inwardly smirked.

Naruko meanwhile was blushing a deep crimson at Naruto's protectiveness, and she couldn't help but feel happy at his concern for her wellbeing as she silently prayed to Kami for Kakashi to survive her brother's onslaught.

Kakashi's lone eye widened before he jumped away from the spot he was previously on when a seal formed underneath it and it exploded, sending dirt and soot all around as he leaped further away, only to trip another seal that he barely dodged out of the way as it exploded. Then the pattern repeated itself once again as Kakashi soon found out as he was dodging for his life as no matter where he landed, a hidden explosive seal was waiting for him, making him leap away to avoid getting blown to pieces. A few minutes later and deciding that he had enough, Kakashi reinforced his legs with chakra as he dashed across the clearing towards Naruto, who was still holding a ram seal in place. His move triggered all the seals in his path making a walking explosion in his wake before coming up to Naruto and aimed a jab at the boy's stomach since his eyes were closed in concentration to knock him unconscious.

Imagine the silver haired man's surprise when Naruto snapped his eyes open and caught his jab, tightening his grip painfully on the man's fist when Kakashi tried to pry his hand away. For a thirteen year old, Naruto's strength was impressive for his age and Kakashi was having doubts about this morning's test becoming boring as usual. Kakashi's lone eye made contact with Naruto's blue ones as the boy grinned, making Kakashi narrow his eye.

"Now, let's have fun, shall we sensei?" Naruto said, "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! (Shadow Clone Technique)**"

Four Narutos came into existence as they fell upon the Jōnin; with Kakashi making a split second decision by aiming a kick at Naruto's legs, releasing his hand as Kakashi leap back only for two clones to be onto him again. He threw a few shuriken at the clones, and he was shocked once more when they _caught _the spinning stars by their middle rings, much like how he would have done if Sakura had thrown shurikens at him. (She was the weakest link after all)

Kakashi's brief period of shock was all the time the clones needed to knee him the stomach at the same time before grabbing him and throwing him backward. They weren't done yet however when one of the clones appeared underneath Kakashi and kicked the man into the air, followed by another as they coordinated their attacks in perfect sync. Kakashi tried to twist his body to roll out of their attack or perform a **Kawarimi** with a wooden log, but he found that he couldn't do both of those things and he was shocked once again.

"**U!**" a clone yelled as he kicked Kakashi into the air.

"**ZU!**" Another yelled as he followed the combo.

"**MA!**" another yelled.

"**KI!**" the fourth on yelled as he used both legs to propel Kakashi higher.

"**Naruto** **Rendan! (Uzumaki Naruto Barrage)**" the original Naruto yelled as he appeared above Kakashi and landed a heel drop onto the man's torso, sending him tumbling back down to earth with a painful thud. Naruto landed a few feet away from him, grinning from ear to ear as he shouted. "Sakura, now!"

Sakura, who had been awed by Naruto's display of taijutsu prowess, nodded as she ran up towards Kakashi who was still regaining his senses as she reared her hand back, an angry expression on her face.

"Shanarooo!" Sakura yelled as she slammed her fist into the man's stomach, earning a painful 'oomph' from the man before she punched his crotch for good measure, earning a girlish scream from the man and Sakura nodded in satisfaction for the man's attempted violation of Naruko's rear.

She leaned down and plucked the bells from the man's waist as she sprinted back towards where Uzumaki siblings were, smiling as she showed them her loot.

Naruto smiled as he chuckled. "Did you have to go that far?" he questioned.

Sakura smirked as she pumped her fists. "No one violates a fellow girl's innocence! That's payback for Naruko!" she declared, earning a laugh from Naruto as he grinned.

Naruko was stunned by her brother's effortless manhandling of their sensei who absolutely demolished her during their bout. She didn't know why Kakashi never reacted the way a shinobi of his caliber would to Naruto's attack, but she was happy nonetheless as she happily hugged Naruto who eagerly hugged back, laughing as he did.

"We did it!" Naruko cheered.

Naruto smiled. "That we did, and it's all thanks to Sakura here." He gestured towards Sakura who was fidgeting under Naruko's gaze.

Naruko pulled away from their hug before going to Sakura and hugged her as well, shocking the girl. "Thank you, Sakura-chan . . ." Sakura widened her eyes even more at the suffix, "I knew you had it in you if you tried hard enough," Naruko pulled back and smiled at the girl, "You have a mean punch there Sakura, and if you keep on training like that, you'll be great in the future!"

Sakura nodded as she smiled widely, "T-Thank you, Naruko-chan!" she cried as she held the blonde girl tighter, who happily returned it.

Naruto smiled at the scene before making his way towards Kakashi who was just managing to stand up, albeit wobbly. Wrapping his arms around the man's waist, which was quite hard to do since he was shorter than the man, he steadied the man before speaking.

"Are you alright Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi groaned a bit as he hissed out, "I'll try not to use that jutsu on girls next time . . ." he wheezed as Naruto winced in sympathy, "Kami, Sakura's punches are monstrous . . ."

Naruto chuckled in mirth. "Can you stand sensei?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Kakashi nodded as Naruto pulled away as the silver haired man stood at full height, clothes ragged and singed in places. "I guess I underestimated you guys . . ."

Naruto smiled. "Seems that way sensei." He said.

Kakashi shook his head before turning serious, "Naruto, how did you do that?" it was not a question, Naruto realized, and he decided there wasn't any harm to tell his sensei that.

Naruto rolled up his sleeve to reveal a sealing matrix that Kakashi instantly recognized as he chuckled in amusement. "Paralysis Seals . . . never expected that." He said as he chuckled, "And I assume those exploding seals were there before we even got here?" he got a nod and he shook his head in exasperation, "By Kami, you predicted my movements . . . and I'm supposed to be a Jōnin . . ." he said with a light chuckle, "Still, you guys got the bells fair and square, but I seem to notice that Sasuke isn't with you . . ." he trailed off at the end to see a fuming and ragged Sasuke walk up to them, eyes glaring daggers at the blonde boy beside him.

"Ah, Sasuke glad you could join us," Kakashi said cheerfully, earning a glare in return.

* * *

A few minutes later, Sasuke was tied to the post while the rest of Team Seven stood beside him. Kakashi stood in front of them with an eye smile. Naruto inwardly sighed at the Uchiha's arrogance. It could've easily been anyone of Team Seven along with himself if they were not careful. But, he told himself, Sasuke needed to learn the values of teamwork and camaraderie if he was to save the Uchihas.

Naruto tuned out the rest of the lecture about how the enemy could make you choose between duty and friendship by Kakashi since it was the same as before and he was discreetly holding Naruko's hand while the man lectured. Then came the important part when Kakashi asked Sakura who would pass with her, but Naruto hid his smile as Sakura spoke.

"I don't have the bells anymore," she replied, making Kakashi raise an eyebrow, "I gave them to Naruto."

"Oh?" Kakashi turned his attention towards Naruto who was smiling, "Why would you give it to him, since he passes regardless of the fact whether he had gotten the bells or not?"

Naruto's the one who replied. "Because," he crushed the bells in his hands, making Sasuke and Kakashi's eyes widen in shock, "We're a team and we're Konoha shinobi. If one of us goes back, then the rest of us go back too. I will _not_ leave my friends behind." He said with conviction as Naruko and Sakura nodded along since they had been privy of his actions, well Sakura needed a bit more effort to be persuaded.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes menacingly at Naruto. "Are you sure? You'll never be a shinobi again if you fail this test," he taunted, and when he was met with resolute faces, he turned to Sasuke, "Well, what do you think Sasuke?"

Sasuke hummed as he thought about it for a moment before he shrugged. "Hn. The dobe's right, we need teamwork if we're to overcome future obstacles . . . why the hell did I say that?" He added at the end causing Naruto to chuckle, making Sasuke glare at him.

Kakashi nodded. "Is that your final decision?" they all nodded as Kakashi took a deep breath, "Well then, you guys . . ." he drawled, letting the tension build up in the air before his trademark eye smile formed on his lone eye.

"Pass."

". . ."

". . ."

". . ."

". . ."

". . ."

"Alright, can we go now you pedophilic sensei?"

Kakashi sighed at that remark. _Note to self, _he thought,_ never piss off Uzumaki Naruto, especially things involving his sister. _He finished his thoughts with a nod.

* * *

**And we are done!**

**This chapter was a bit longer than expected, and the fight was a bit detailed too since I'm still working on that. Anyways, tell me my flaws on this chapter. ESPECIALLY this chapter since it is 50% fight scenes and I hope my writing style hadn't ruined it for all of you! I'll also try to one down the details of the fights scenes since I tend to get carried away. Let me know in your reviews alright? **

**Oh, how do you like how I handle the bell test? Too cheesy (Someone mentioned this in the reviews, no offence to the reviewer, you are awesome!) or am I making Kakashi a little too nerfed? Dunno, but do not fret if you guys think so. This is only temporary as Kakashi is one of my favorite characters next to Naruto and Maito Gai. The Sasuke bashing too I'm going to tone done after the Wave arc . . . or maybe not so haha, rejoice you Sasuke haters! (Ducks behind a table as Sasuke lovers fires flaming arrows at me). I can't help it, Sasuke is an Double S-rank jerk!**

**As always, thank you guys so much for your love and support! It's your encouragement that keeps me going!**

**This is HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE!**


	10. The Wave Begins!

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Ten: The Wave Begins!**

* * *

Naruko huffed as she eyed the tree in front of her under the watchful eye of Naruto, who was speaking as he explained the exercise she was about to do.

It was the day after their Genin Test which Team Seven along with Naruto had passed, with Kakashi explaining to them about the importance of teamwork and the willingness to sacrifice one's own life for their comrades, as quoted by Kakashi himself, "Those abandon the mission are trash, but those who abandon their friends are worse than trash." Naruko also noticed that when the man said those words, she felt the underlining hurt and regret that came with his words of wisdom, which spoke of deep personal loss that were too painful to be revealed.

Naruko had asked her brother about it, and Naruto explained that Kakashi had lost his entire team – coincidentally it was also named Team Seven – over the years. Imagine her shock when she learned that Kakashi's sensei was Minato, her father. His other teammates were Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin, both of them dying for the sake of the village and their friend. Naruko couldn't help but feel sad for Kakashi's loss and it explained why her silver haired sensei was so distant and aloof, as it was all just a mask to hide away his grief and sorrow – much like how she once was, years ago.

After Team Seven was officially formed, Kakashi had given them the next day off to recuperate and Naruko wasted no time to hold onto her brother's offer to train her, which she was _absolutely_ ecstatic for! Naruto's way of teaching, along with his patience and kindness as he taught her step by step always made Naruko feel happy about herself and it encouraged her to push the boundaries of her own abilities and become stronger than before just to hear his praise more often.

They were currently in a secluded spot within Training Ground Seven, and it was here that Naruto had planned their training session this early in the morning, at dawn to be exact. But Naruko had no complaints, for she was too excited at the prospect of training with Naruto.

"Alright Naruko-chan, we're going to be doing chakra control exercises today," Naruto explained to the other blonde as she listened intently, "Since we both share Kurama's massive chakra reserves along with our own natural ones, chakra control will be the hardest to maintain as our larger reserves tend to make us waste more chakra than necessary to perform jutsus. Not only does chakra control reduces the amount of chakra needed to perform a jutsu, it also increases our reserves in the long run, so the more chakra you have . . ."

"The more jutsus we'll be able to perform and it will be less taxing on our bodies . . ." Naruko finished, earning a nod of approval from Naruto.

"You catch on quick, as expected of my cute little sister," Naruko blushed as Naruto said that with a cheeky smile on his face. "Now the first exercise is the easiest one: tree climbing."

Naruko tilted her head in confusion, "Tree climbing?" she asked. Wouldn't it be easier to just leap onto the tree branches instead of climbing them? It seemed counterproductive to her.

Naruto chuckled. "Yes, tree climbing, but not in the way that you think," he said as he walked up to the tree, "you have to climb the tree without using your hands, only your feet." At her questioning look, Naruto decided to just show her what he meant as he placed a foot on the bark of the tree, getting the feel of his chakra attaching his feet to it, and soon he was walking vertically up the tree with his hands in his pockets until he was under one of the branches and looking upside down at the stunned and awed visage of Naruko, who he thought looked cute on her. "See what I mean?"

Naruko clapped her hands together as she bounced on her feet, "Sugoi! That's awesome Onii-chan!" she cheered, making Naruto smile. "I'm going to be learning that?"

"Hai," Naruto said as he landed on the ground, "But with your massive chakra reserves, it'll take more than a day for you to master it," he explained, and his heart clenched painfully in his chest at the crestfallen look on Naruko's face, prompting him to quickly rectify the situation, "But . . . there's a another way."

Naruko looked at him, confused violet eyes staring into his own. "Another way?" she parroted.

Naruto nodded. "Kage Bunshin." He supplied succinctly. A look of understanding appeared on Naruko's face before a wide grin spread across her lips as she bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet. Naruto already knew what has gotten the blonde girl so excited about. "I see you got my meaning."

Naruko nodded with a happy smile, one that was contagious as Naruto couldn't help but smile as well. She was just so cute!

Naruto clapped his hands together. "Okay then, let's get started!" he announced, "But remember to _not_ go overboard with the amount of clones you make, or the mental backlash and fatigue will knock you out like a light." He warned, earning a nod from the blonde girl as she put her hands in her favorite modified tiger seal.

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"** she called out and fifty Narukos came into existence in a large puff of smoke, before they all settled into their assigned trees while the original began her own ascent up her tree. "Alright, let's do this!" she cheered.

Naruto laughed at her enthusiasm as he too created exactly fifty clones to monitor Naruko's own clones, while getting some training in as well. "Try applying chakra to your feet to make it stick to the bark. Too little, you'll slip off; too much, you'll get blown right off." He advised. He watched as Naruko placed her foot on the bark, a look of concentration on her face and seemingly satisfied with her position; she brought her other foot up and slowly walked up the bark. She didn't make it past six steps before her control slipped and she flipped back onto the ground.

Frowning in concentration, Naruko was about to try again when she heard Naruto call out to her and when she turned he tossed a kunai at her. She caught it easily and she noticed that it was blunted. She looked back at her brother for an explanation.

Seeing her look, Naruto smiled as he explained. "Mark your progress every time your control slips; try to beat your previous mark and slowly go up from there." He advised, earning a nod from Naruko before she went at it again. This time she made seven steps before the bark blew off underneath her feet as she marked her position before landing back down.

And that was how the morning went, with Naruko and her clones trying to make it up the tree with Naruto and _his_ clones encouraging her all the way. An hour later, Naruto had asked her to slowly dispel her clones individually to reduce the mental fatigue that comes with using the jutsu. With all of Naruko's clones dispelled, Naruto had asked her to try walking up the tree again. She obliged and went at it, only to be pleasantly surprised when she had almost reached all the way to the top of her tree before her control slipped and she flopped back down, a giddy smile on her face.

Congratulating her on a job well done, Naruto edged her on to continue her training since the sun had only just risen up, illuminating the dawning hours in a pink and blue hue. They continued to train throughout the morning hours; with Naruko completely mastering tree climbing by the time Naruto had told her to rest up for lunch which was already midday. Even though she had mastered it, Naruto had told her to always keep up her chakra control exercises to compensate as chakra control comes with an increase in her reserves and vice versa. After taking their lunch by Naruko's homemade bento boxes, Naruto then taught her the next and trickier exercise: water walking.

"The principle is the same as tree climbing, but it's harder than it looks," Naruto said, standing on the surface of the lake as if it wasn't disturbed; no ripples or waves, just a calm serene picture of tranquility, making Naruko stare in awe, "You apply chakra to the soles of your feet to keep you from falling into the water. Too little chakra, you'll sink; too much, you'll be blown out of the water by your own chakra." Naruto advised with his calm and detailed manner. He smiled. "So, it's best to get your swimwear if you don't want your clothes getting soaked. . ." he added mischievously, enjoying the tomato red blush Naruko had sported once he said that as he laughed, much to her chagrin.

It didn't help that Kurama was making perverted comments every now and then about their supposed 'brother-sister relationship', causing them both to blush and sputter in embarrassment.

The afternoon went on with Naruko practicing her water walking with her clones while in her – predictably black and orange – one piece swimwear which Naruto thought that it looked _absolutely_ perfect on her, much to her embarrassment. She found out that water walking was harder than it looked as she and her clones kept falling into the water again and again. What's worse, she needed to master this exercise to the point where the water surface wasn't disturbed even the slightest when she stood motionlessly in one spot. Nevertheless, she wanted to make her brother proud, and it also helped that she secretly wanted Naruto to notice her body a little more . . .

A few hours later, Naruko collapsed on the shore of the lake, sweat and water coating her form as she panted in exhaustion. A triumphant smile adorned her features as she pumped her fists in victory as Naruto – who was sitting beside her as he watched her celebrate – laughed as he patted her head, smiling fondly. Naruto was one very proud brother right now. Naruko had trained nonstop since having ate her lunch, and the results were very well worth her efforts as she had mastered water walking faster than anyone he could've imagined. It was truly a great achievement, and Naruto was impressed greatly by the rate in which she had improved over the past hours. It helped that she had her Kage Bunshin to help her out this early on in her training, but that was in the details.

_Details_, he thought.

Naruko was still panting with a smile on her face as she huffed, "I did it . . ." she said.

Naruto smiled. "I know you did," he concurred, "And I am very proud of you, Naruko-chan . . ."

Smiling, Naruko turned her gaze upwards towards him, her violet eyes shone with gratitude and love, "Thank you . . . it means a lot coming from you." She whispered as she closed her eyes, finally letting her exhaustion take her into blissful sleep.

Naruto chuckled as he stood and went to carry her in his arms bridal style as he shushined back to their apartment and placed her onto her bed after drying her off, mindful of the fact that she was still wet and sweaty from her training and would probably sleep through dinner and well into the night.

Pulling the covers over Naruko's sleeping form, Naruto kissed her on the forehead, whispering, "Oyasuminasai, Naruko-chan . . ." before heading out of her room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

The next few weeks passed by rather quickly in Naruto's opinion and nothing major had happened that could potentially alter the timeline, for that he was grateful and relieved. During those few weeks, he had continued Naruko's training as well as polishing up his own skills in a fūinjutsu barrier that is designed to suppress all chakra in the immediate area so other sensors or well-trained shinobi could not sense him using his more high powered jutsus. He didn't want to reveal his cards too early, and since the barrier was the most sophisticated and complex one he had made along with his father's memories to date, he doubted even Black Zetsu could take a peek at his training.

Naruto had started training his sister to dabble in the art of fūinjutsu. Once the fundamentals were out of the way, which took less than a few hours, Naruto moved on to introduce her to more intermediate levels of fūinjutsu. He taught her seals such as Chakra Storage Seals, Paralysis Seals, Elemental Seals, and even the _Fūka Hōin (Fire Sealing Method)_ just to name a few. Naruto had went to the library and picked up fūinjutsu related books that were incidentally, authored by Minato and Jiraiya, the former's more than the latter for obvious reasons. Since he already knew them by heart thanks to his father, Naruto lent them to Naruko for her to study up on which the blonde girl had taken great interest in the art, much to Naruto's delight.

Since that day, every time someone went into their apartment, one could clearly see scrolls and books of all kinds sprawled out around the living room – thankfully, Naruko liked her apartment clean and tidy, so she had ordered a shelf specifically made to shelve her fūinjutsu books which was currently in the living room for ease of access.

If the Uzumaki siblings were not training, they were out doing missions for the village; Naruko with Team Seven, and Naruto as an independent cell. Sometimes the two cells would cross paths with each other during their missions which were very often, as Naruto had a sneaking suspicion that Hiruzen arranged them that way as he wanted Naruto as close to Naruko as possible to shield her from threats that may arise, internally or externally. To his utter frustration, Naruto still could not locate Danzō's Root Division Headquarters even with all of his clones running around the village, and he had to give the old hawk credit . . . he knew how to hide bases.

The only real kicker during those weeks was how the Sandaime had literally wiped the floor with Danzō during one of their scheduled council meetings when the old hawk brought up Naruto's unexpected arrival in the village as the supposed brother of their village's Jinchuriki host. Danzō had demanded that Naruto was to be bought to ANBU Headquarters to be questioned about his motives and placed under guarded quarantine – which was worse than it sounded – and if possible strip him of his shinobi rank and giving the old man ample ammunition to degrade the old Kage further. It would have worked, if not for Kurama's gentle reminder and Naruto's quick thinking, Hiruzen would have been caught in the vice.

Instead, the Sandaime just pulled out a document – a cleverly forged one imbued with Kurama's chakra – that showed the council about Naruto's parentage and heritage as Naruko's third cousin, two times removed of the long extinct Uzumaki Clan. Apparently, which Naruto still thought of as a joke along with Naruko, he was the son of two wandering merchants, the mother of the two was the granddaughter of a survivor of the Uzushiogakure no Sato (Village Hidden by Whirling Tides) purges of the Second Great Shinobi World War. After learning of his parentage and the fact that another Uzumaki was alive, he travelled to Konoha to reunite with his only living kin. The authenticity of the documents along with this tale bought off the civilian and more than half of the shinobi council, causing Danzō to reluctantly back down, much to Hiruzen's giddy delight at finally putting the war hawk in his place.

The D-ranks were still boring though, there was no question about them, but they were made easier to handle due to fact that no one was glaring at him or driving him away with glares and harsh words. Naruto had to breathe a sigh of relief at that; thank Kami for small mercies. But there was a bright side to these missions; he could run into Naruko's team more often and of course helping out at the local orphanage was certainly a good experience as well.

But Naruto knew that this tranquility will have to end, and if memory served him right, the time was right for Team Seven to undertake its first C-rank Mission outside of the village walls . . . and he was determined to see to it that it doesn't end like the first time around.

* * *

_"__This is Goldilocks, I'm in position." _A female voice said.

A young male voice came over the radio, _"This is Brooder, target in sight . . ."_ there was a pause, _"I really hate you right now, sensei."_

_"__This is Pinky, traps are set . . . I don't particularly mind our call signs. It's simple and direct." _Came another female voice.

_"__This is Sensei, prepare to initiate the plan." _A deep male voice said before he paused. _"Now!" _he called.

Their quarry was walking leisurely down the forest path it as on, before it turned on all fours as its ears twitched to see Sasuke pounce at it, causing it to screech in feline anger as it reared its fangs threateningly. Sasuke continued on unhindered as he threw himself at the creature that just ran in the opposite direction to avoid him, only to run into several contraptions that blocked its path. It screeched once more before running down another path, before a blonde girl with sparkling purple eyes held out her hands in a warm welcoming gesture, causing the creature to leap up into her hands, purring as it did when the blonde girl stroked its head and fur.

The blonde girl giggled. "Goldilocks to Team, target acquired." She said into the radio.

_"__Confirm pink ribbon on right ear." _Came Kakashi's voice.

The blonde girl nodded although he couldn't see it. "Confirmed." She said.

_"__Alright, good job Team, target 'Tora' the cat has been acquired." _Kakashi said, _"Meet up at the Hokage's Office, Sensei out."_

A few minutes later, the members of Team Seven were standing in front of the Hokage's desk after returning Tora to his owner, who was a plump woman by the name of Madam Shijimi, the Fire Daimyō's Wife. The poor cat was having its life squeezed out of it in Shijimi's embrace, who continued to coddle the poor thing before leaving, causing the rest of the occupants to develop sweat drops.

_Poor Tora . . ._ Naruko thought as said cat was taken away by his owner.

_Hn . . . serves the damn cat right. _Sasuke thought with a smirk.

_No wonder he keeps running away_. Sakura thought with a grimace.

They were all snapped out of their thoughts when the Sandaime cleared his throat, "Another job well done, Team Seven. Here is your payment for this assignment."

Kakashi stepped forward and took the offered payment and stepped back with a small bow. "Thank you Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen smiled kindly as he sorted some papers on his desk, rummaging through available mission requests. "Alright then, what would you like for your next mission?" he asked rhetorically, "There is babysitting for a villager's baby, and there's cleaning the kennel at the Inuzuka compound . . ." he listed off the boring assignments. "There's also a slot for . . ."

"Hn . . ." surprisingly it was Sasuke who voiced his disapproval, as most expected Naruko to object but the blonde girl just kept her cool. He spoke, "D-rank missions pose no challenge whatsoever for me, I need a greater than challenge than these . . . _chores_." He grounded out the last word with venom. "I can vouch for my team as well since they are stuck doing these missions as I am."

Iruka, who was beside the Hokage handling out missions, stood up as he began his lecture about missions. "Now Sasuke . . ." he started, but a raised hand by the Hokage stopped his lecture halfway.

Raising an aged eyebrow in interest, Hiruzen obliged Sasuke's request. "Do you think you are ready for a more difficult assignment?" he asked, eyes staring directly into Sasuke's onyx ones.

Sasuke nodded without hesitation as he stared unrelentingly into the Hokage's eyes. "Hai, I believe I speak for my team as well. We have what it takes to complete a higher ranked mission, and besides, we've already completed the minimum requirement of twenty eight D-ranks to qualify for a C-rank, or am I wrong Hokage-sama?" he said smoothly.

Hiruzen shook his head. "No, you are not wrong Sasuke-kun," he turned his attention to Team Seven's leader, "Well Kakashi-kun? Do you think they are ready?"

Kakashi hummed, seemingly thinking it through before he shrugged and nodded. "I believe they are ready Hokage-sama, and as Sasuke said, they can handle themselves. They may be a bit rough around the edges, but they'll be fine." He reasoned with his patented eye smile.

Hiruzen nodded at the silver haired man's logic, "I suppose you're right . . . very well, I accept your request for a higher ranked mission." Iruka looked aghast while the rest of Team Seven have delighted expressions; Sasuke's smugger than anyone else's. "Besides, if Naruko-chan doesn't chew me out now, she'll do it later when we're alone." He teased.

"Jiji!" Naruko yelled with a red face, very mortified.

Hiruzen laughed as Sasuke and Sakura adopted stunned expressions at seeing the Hokage acting friendly with Naruko, and the way Naruko addressed him was also a shock to them. "Anyway, here's your assignment Team Seven, a simple C-Rank: escort mission to Nami no Kuni (Land of Waves), shouldn't be too much of a hassle." He said as he handed out the request for Kakashi to take.

Hiruzen turned to Iruka, "Send the client in," he ordered as Iruka bowed and he disappeared.

A few minutes later, the sound of the door opening garnered the attention of the occupants of the room and the first thing Naruko noticed was the strong stench of alcohol radiating from the man, making her hold her nose to ward off the offending smell. The client was an elderly heavyset man presumably in his late fifties, and was wearing spectacles and had a large beard and dark eyes. He was wearing a simple sleeveless shirt with an obi and pants and simple sandals along with a towel hanging around his neck. In his hand was a sake bottle he was drinking from and from the looks of it he was clearly drunk.

The man took another swig from his bottle before facing Naruko and her team. "What's this? I hired you shinobi from Konoha to protect me, not send me a few brats and a scarecrow man! The blonde one looks too innocent to be a shinobi, the pink one looks useless while the brooding one looks like a kid having bowel problems!" he said and took another swig.

Naruko's eye twitched as she took a calming breath before she glanced at her teammates who were doing not much better. Sasuke was glaring daggers at the older man while Sakura had a tic mark on her forehead but she calmed herself as the man hit the nail on the head. Kakashi just shrugged off the insults like they were nothing as he stepped up to the client.

"Don't worry about my team as I assure you they are quite capable," he explained with an eye smile, "The blonde girl is the top kunoichi of her graduating class; the boy is the Rookie of the Year, while the pink haired girl is capable in her own right. Plus, I'm a Jōnin, so you'll be well protected."

The client nodded drunkenly before speaking, "My name is Tazuna, the master bridge builder, and I expect you all to protect me with your lives." He stated before wobbling out the door.

Kakashi turned to his team and spoke, "Alright, meet up at the east gate tomorrow morning at seven. Dismissed." He ordered before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Sasuke took his leave as well followed by Sakura who had changed tactics and started asking him to train with her, which he always refused. Still, Naruko could feel Sakura's chakra reserves increase over the past weeks so her advice to the girl was not in vain.

Naruko turned her attention towards Hiruzen as she frowned. "He's hiding something Jiji." She stated bluntly, causing the elder Kage to nod. "His posture is too guarded, his muscles were tense and his eyes were darting as if expecting trouble."

"Yes, I figured as well . . ." he murmured as he erected a privacy jutsu in his office after he dismissed his ANBU guards. "What do you think?"

Naruko sighed as she crossed her arms. "If I'm wrong, nothing will happen; but if I'm right . . ." she bit her lip as she remembered her brother's memories from the past and future, and it got her worried.

Hiruzen sighed. "This could turn out complicated." He offered as he turned to the side, "What do you think Naruto-kun?"

As soon as the words left the wizened Kage's mouth, Naruto's form appeared beside him in a flicker as he released his **Tōton Jutsu (Transparent Escape Technique)**. He had learned this jutsu from Jiraiya during their three year training trip, and Naruto had never been more grateful to Jiraiya for letting him learn it as this jutsu was great for spying and keeping him hidden.

In an instant the boy was hugged from the side as Naruko threw herself in his embrace, causing him to chuckle. Naruto turned to look at the door. "Whatever it is, it's bound to be trouble where he is heading." He said.

Hiruzen looked at Naruto, "Is this one of the major events that is going to happen?" he asked

Naruto nodded as he hugged his sister tighter, "Yes," he said simply, earning a nod in return.

"And you wish to be a part of it?" it was not a question.

"If the possibility presents itself, then yes."

"Very well," Hiruzen smiled as he wrote something down, "You'll be on standby for this mission, as you'll be the backup for Team Seven, and it helps that you completed thirty five D-ranks despite your obvious dislike for them . . ." he said with a chuckle.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as Naruko giggled. "Hey, I like helping out at the orphanage!" he said cheekily.

Hiruzen smiled warmly as he stood and hugged the two Uzumakis, "Good luck you two, and please stay safe . . ."

"We will," they said in unison before they left the office via Naruto's shushin, leaving the old Kage to his own devices.

* * *

"Alright, let's head out." Kakashi said as he led the small group out of the village. He was late as usual and they departed at ten instead of seven, with Tazuna along with Sakura in the lead with Sasuke slightly behind them followed by Naruko and Kakashi who were walking side by side. Sakura kept asking questions about Nami no Kuni and what do they do for a living while Sasuke just remained silent the entire way. Naruko meanwhile was keeping her senses sharp as she surveyed her surroundings carefully, looking out for anything unusual which her sensei had noticed with a hidden look of approval.

As they walked down the dirt road on the way to Nami, the group passed by a small puddle by the side of the road. It looked like any other pool, but the chakra Naruko was feeling that was emanating from the puddle said otherwise. She sent a silent gesture to Kakashi who nodded slightly as Naruko moved a few steps in front of Kakashi, acting nonchalant as she asked Tazuna a few questions here and there. Kakashi just continued to read his book.

When they passed the puddle, two figures with slashed horned Kirigakure hitai-ate on their foreheads emerged from the puddle before they leapt out of their hiding spot, their linked chain weapon wrapping themselves around Kakashi's frame since he was closer and they pulled, shredding Kakashi in a shower of bone, meat and blood as his body parts fell to the ground.

"One down," one of the shinobi spoke, "Four to go." He ginned wickedly.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura yelled out in horror at seeing their sensei being ripped to shreds.

Naruko, already expecting the attack, turned and drew her kunai, "Sasuke!" she called, snapping the Uchiha out of his daze.

Sasuke nodded as he unleashed his shurikens, catching one of the chain links with them causing it to be pinned into a nearby tree, pulling the two shinobi with it. They struggled for a few seconds before they released the chains from their metal gauntlets, charging the two Genin with their clawed gauntlets.

"Meizu! You take the brat, I'll take the girl!" the man with a single horn on his hitai-ate said.

The other man nodded as he charged. "You got it Gōzu!"

Naruko was ready for the man known as Gōzu as she parried the outstretched gauntlet with her kunai before doing a leg sweep, kicking the man's legs causing him to stagger at the sudden impact. Naruko wasn't done yet however as she followed up with a swift kick to his side before aiming for his gut, burying her chakra infused fist into it. She ducked below the man's sloppy downward slash, drawing another kunai from her pouch before she got behind him and stabbed both of her kunais into the back of his legs, making him cry out in pain as he fell to his knees. A swift chop to his neck ended his screaming as Naruko turned to look at Sasuke who has also finished up his opponent.

They both had finished tying up the two men with shinobi wire before Kakashi appeared behind them, an eye smile in place.

Sakura was the first to react to his unexpected survival. "S-Sensei! You're alive!? B-But how?!" she asked.

Kakashi smiled. "Simple. I used a **Kawarimi**." He said as he thumbed to where he had 'died'. Where once it had been blood and meat, in its place were a couple of shredded wooden logs. "Sorry about the scare you guys. I needed to figure out these missing-nin's target. Good job dealing with those two Sasuke, Naruko; and good job protecting the client Sakura. You guys did well." He praised, earning grateful looks from his students, well, two grateful and one neutral and smug.

He turned his attention to Tazuna. The man was sweating up a storm. "I needed to figure out who they were targeting as I couldn't be sure since I'm a pretty infamous shinobi myself and some missing-nin would go for shinobi of major villages for loot and the fun of killing . . ." at this point, Tazuna was sweating a literal storm of bullets as Kakashi narrowed his lone eye dangerously, "But I got my answer when they went after you, Tazuna-san . . ."

Tazuna gulped as he adjusted his straw-hat as Kakashi continued, "You paid for a C-rank mission: which only entails protecting you from bandits and robbers. I know those two from the Bingo Books; they're B-rank missing-nin from Kirigakure, the Demon Brothers." Everyone's eyes widened in shock except for Sasuke and to a lesser extent Naruko. "In your mission request, you clearly lied about the mission parameters as you failed to mention that missing-nin were hunting you. This mission's rank just got elevated to a B-rank and possibly an A-rank if we encounter more rogue shinobi. Simply put, this mission is way out of my team's league." Kakashi concluded with a harsh glare, making Tazuna bow his head down in shame. "I can simply turn around and return with my team back to Konoha and explain the situation to the Hokage, and your mission request will be null and void . . ."

"No! Please I beg of you!" Tazuna begged as he got down to his knees, "We didn't have enough money to hire a B-rank mission, as we're barely having enough for ourselves as it is. Everyone back home burned through their savings just to get enough money to hire a simple C-rank!" he explained as he bowed lowly, making Naruko and the rest look down at him in sympathy, "Our country is poor, it's already bankrupt! Not even the nobles have any money left, ever since that bastard came to our country and took control of our sea lanes . . ."

Naruko held up her hands in a halting gesture. "Wait, who came?" she asked, wanting clarification.

"Gatō." Tazuna snarled out, as if speaking the name itself was poison to him.

Kakashi's eyes widen in surprise. "The wealthy business tycoon?" he asked.

"The very same." Tazuna said, "On the outside he's as good as gold, but the truth is far more sinister as he runs mercenary gangs, racketeering operations, goods and drugs smuggling and slavery just to name a few to fuel his so-called business." Everyone remained silent as they digested this particular information. Naruko felt a sick feeling in her stomach as she thought about the evil things the man has done to fund his empire. "He came to Nami over a year ago and took control of our country's ports. As long as he controls sea trade, he controls Nami. My bridge will bring an end to that . . ." he explained, "With our people no longer relying on sea trade for survival, we'll get a second chance to start anew, so please, I beg of you for Nami no Kuni's sake, save my family and my beloved country!" he all but shouted as he bowed down low.

Kakashi hummed as he closed his eye. He was contemplating whether he should continue the mission or abandon it entirely when he was interrupted from his thoughts.

"I believe we should help them, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi turned to Naruko, who had spoken out as she continued, "Think about it, not only do we get to save another nation, the cost to fund this elevated mission can be reimbursed to us when their economy got back up its feet." Kakashi couldn't help but see the logic in her summarization, marking her maturity for all to see. "And besides, this Gatō character doesn't sit right with my morals . . . I say we help them." She said with finality as she smiled warmly at Tazuna who had heard her small speech as he smiled in gratitude.

Sasuke also added his two cents. "Hn . . . I'll go along as well. We started this mission, might as well finish it." He said with a smirk.

Sakura smiled as she nodded. "If two of my teammates are going, I'm not going to sit back and abandon them like a coward now; I'm going too." She said.

Kakashi sighed as he looked up to the clear sky. "Sometimes I wonder if you guys are heroic or just plain insane . . ." he muttered, earning a giggle from Naruko while the rest just looked at him strangely, not having heard his murmur. "Alright then, we're continuing the mission, but I'm sending a message back to Hokage-sama to inform him of our changed mission parameters." He scribbled down on a piece of paper before rolling it up as he whistled, and out of nowhere a messenger hawk from Konoha landed on his shoulder, which he then proceeded to tie the message to its legs before letting it fly back towards the village.

"But first . . ." Kakashi pulled a kunai before pressing it to Gōzu's throat, making him gulp in fear. "Tell us who you work for . . ." he said menacingly.

Gōzu spat at him. "As if I'll tell you . . . ack!" he began to say before Kakashi plunged a kunai into his thigh, making him cry out in agony.

Kakashi pressed his kunai further, drawing blood while his students watched on in stunned silence at his interrogation techniques. "Now, I'll ask again . . . who do you work for? Do you want me to go for the other thigh, or perhaps your arms and eyes?" he asked pleasantly.

Gōzu's eyes widened in fear as a trembled, "M-Momochi Zabuza! I don't know anything else!" he cried before he was knocked unconscious by a punch to the gut.

Kakashi sighed as he cleaned his kunai blade. "This mission just got a lot tougher." He said as he turned towards his students who were sporting pale and greenish expressions. "Team Seven, protect the client. Move out!"

* * *

It was already dusk when Kakashi ordered them to set up camp for the night to rest up for tomorrow's inevitable confrontation. Naruko had heard many things about the infamous Momochi Zabuza, the _Kirigakure no Kijin (Demon of the Hidden Mist)_ and member of the _Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū (Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist)_, and most of them were not pretty as they send shivers of fear down her spine. She calmed herself though through the meditation technique Naruto had taught her, and it helped immensely.

They had just set up their tents and Sasuke had just come back with firewood when a lone figure landed in front of them in the darkness, making Sasuke and Sakura tense up as they prepared to fight. In the dim light one could make out that the figure was slightly higher than the rest of the Genin, and Naruko didn't even need to look up to know who the person was.

"Well, this is a surprise," Kakashi drawled as he looked up from his book, how he kept reading in the darkness was beyond Naruko at this point, "I expected Hokage-sama to send reinforcements, but I didn't know that he only sent you . . ."

The figure smiled as Sasuke had quickly started a fire, illuminating the face of one Uzumaki Naruto. "Well, I hate to burst your bubble Kakashi-sensei, but most of the other teams are out or they were not ready yet, so he sent me instead since I was free." He said with a smile. It was a white lie of course, but Kakashi didn't need to know that. "Also, Hokage-sama has sent ANBU squads into Nami to scout out this Gatō's business ventures. Hopefully we can tear down his empire once and for all. And besides," Naruto grinned maliciously that sent shivers down Kakashi's spine, "I can't leave my sister with a pedophile such as yourself can I?" he finished with a charming smile, earning a groan from the silver head as he grumbled something along the lines of 'smart-assed blondes'.

Sasuke glared at Naruto as he growled. "We don't need your help, dobe." He said. "We can handle this mission ourselves."

Naruto shrugged with an easy grin. "Well too bad princess, you're stuck with me; Hokage-sama's orders." He replied.

"Tch."

Kakashi sighed as he rubbed his temple at the two boy's bickering, "Whatever the case, I'm glad you're here Naruto." He said, with Naruto smiling up at him as he said so, "We need all the help we can get, and I'll avoid asking why Hokage-sama sent you out alone without a Jōnin accompanying you . . ."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "I thought _you_ were my Jōnin retainer?" he asked with a grin.

A moment of silence reigned before Kakashi shrugged, "True enough . . ."

Naruto chuckled as he turned his attention to his sister, who was sitting right beside Tazuna as he offered her a wave when he walked over. "Hey, Naruko-chan." He greeted.

Naruko beamed at him, obviously happy to see him. "Hi, Onii-chan!" she greeted back as she stood and hugged him warmly.

Naruto pulled back as he eyed the older man and offered his hand for a handshake. "Hello there, Tazuna-san was it?" he asked and the man nodded. "The name's Uzumaki Naruto and I am your backup for this mission. I may not look like it but I can handle myself pretty well." He said with a kind smile.

Tazuna shook the offered hand. "Thank you for helping me." He said earnestly.

Naruto grinned. "It's what we do, and I couldn't leave my sister alone to fight against a tyrannical empire can I?" he joked lightly, earning a light laugh from Tazuna and a light smack from Naruko who huffed indignantly with a small smile.

Tazuna looked at him strangely, then at Naruko then looked back at him again after recognizing the resemblance. "Sister? You guys are twins?" he asked.

Naruto smiled. "Cousins, two times removed." He explained. He hated himself for lying about his parentage, and Naruko was no different judging by how irritated she was through their bond. Tazuna just nodded as the rest of Team Seven ate dinner and talked about mundane things and about tomorrow's encounter with more missing-nins. As they all went to bed, Naruto and Naruko offered to take up first watch with Kakashi accompanying them since he reasoned that he was a light sleeper.

Naruto was currently sitting in front of the fire adding firewood to keep it going with Naruko resting her head on his right shoulder as she leaned into him, causing him to shift his weight to better accommodate the girl's weight. They were silently having a mental conversation with Kurama and about Naruko's fight with one of the Demon Brothers when Kakashi sat in front of them beyond the fire, eying them curiously.

Naruto seemed to notice that Kakashi was staring at them and he turned to look at the man, "Something on your mind, sensei?" he asked, gaining Kakashi's attention as well as Naruko's who listened in as well.

Kakashi smiled. "Nothing important, if you two weren't related by blood, I'd say you both look like a couple." He said, causing the both of them to blush.

Naruko sighed as she snuggled closer into Naruto's warmth. "Sometimes I wish we're not blood related . . ." she said wistfully, causing Kakashi's visible brow to shoot up into his hairline, "Just two people, loving each other unconditionally . . ."

Naruto blushed as he rubbed the back of his head. "You know what the people back home will think . . ." he answered uncomfortably.

"I know, and frankly I don't care . . ." she murmured, earning a look of utter shock from both Naruto and Kakashi, "You're the only guy that I'm comfortable with, so there's my answer." She said as she closed her eyes. "I love you too much to put another guy in my life, Onii-chan."

Naruto was warmed by the heartfelt words his sister had said to him. Not caring if they were blood related and also about the village's opinion of her? She was willing to sacrifice that much to be with him, but Naruto decided to wait as he still needed to understand what true love was all about in his own time. He just needed to hold onto hope that Naruko can wait until then . . . and maybe read up on their mother's clan journals while he was at it.

Kakashi was shocked speechless by Naruko's admission and also by her blatant disregard of incest, which truthfully to him was kinda hot and kinky – blame Icha Icha, not him. Perverseness aside, Kakashi was awed by the obvious affection and unconditional love and trust that existed between the two Uzumakis and it warmed his heart to think that his sensei's daughter had found a family she had always wished for. Kakashi was of course a bit unnerved by the incest comment, but if that was her choice then he would support her till the end. It also helped that her new brother looked astonishingly similar to Kakashi's late sensei . . .

Kakashi shook his head. It must be a coincidence for their features to look alike . . .

Which reminded him; he needed to ask the Sandaime about Naruto's origins as he still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off when he had obviously _not_ seen another golden blonde haired kid running around Konoha besides Naruko before the Academy Graduation Test, and Kakashi couldn't help but be slightly wary despite the obvious affection the Uzumakis had for each other . . .

"Alright, get some sleep you two," Kakashi ordered a few hours later as he stood up and dusted his pants, "I'll go and wake Sasuke and Sakura."

Naruto nodded his thanks since Naruko had long fallen asleep on his shoulder. He picked her up and carried her into their shared tent – Naruto's tent to be exact – and he laid her beside him as she snuggled into the crook of his neck, hands linking together as she dozed. Naruto closed his eyes as well before he kissed her head like he always did before going to sleep as well.

* * *

The eerie mist that hugged the atmosphere as the small group crossed the river was nerve wracking and a little creepy just like it did the first time around. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he focused chakra into his senses to try and locate his targets; Momochi Zabuza and his accomplice, Haku. He planned to not let Haku die like he/she did back in his time. Naruto still couldn't figure out the gender of the strange Yuki Clan member even after all this time and he was getting frustrated. To be told that the supposed girl he found attractive was actually a boy . . . Naruto unconsciously shivered in disgust.

The morning had been uneventful as they made great time towards their destination. Boarding the same boat as they did last time, Naruto still couldn't help but be awed by the great half-finished bridge that was but a dark silhouette in the thick mist. He had already warned Naruko of the imminent danger they were about to face the moment they hit dry land, and Naruko, trusting his judgment, obeyed without question. Sakura was lowly asking Tazuna how the bridge was built and how it represented the people's gate to freedom. Naruto steeled himself as they hit the shore, and after bidding goodbye to the boater, they were currently moving slowly and cautiously through the mist as they made their way towards the heart of Nami no Kuni . . .

"I can't wait for you guys to meet my family," Tazuna said as he lead them through the unfamiliar terrain, "I'm sure my daughter and grandson will be relieved that I'm home safely."

Suddenly, Naruko flipped out her kunai and held it out in a ready stance causing the rest of them to halt and tense up in readiness. Of course Naruto already knew what it was and sure enough, a white rabbit came into view, hopping away. Sakura was ranting off about how did Naruko mistake a bunny for an enemy before Naruto heard the faint sound of something cutting through the air.

"Get down!" three simultaneous voices shouted as Kakashi pulled Sasuke down, Naruko pulled Sakura while Naruto crash tackled Tazuna just as a massive sword flew over the group and embedded itself on a nearby tree, a lone man standing on the blade's flat end. He was wearing a black and white milk patterned camouflage with black pants and shinobi sandals and his face and lower body were covered in bandages except for his bare torso. His forehead protector was tied to the side of his head and the man's menacing dark eyes stared directly at them.

"Momochi Zabuza, A-rank missing-nin of Kirigakure, infamous as the Kirigakure no Kijin of the famous Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. . ." Kakashi's seriously said as the man seemed to raise his covered eyebrows in interest.

Zabuza chuckled menacingly. "Hatake Kakashi? What a surprise seeing the great Copy Ninja Kakashi here in Nami of all places." He said.

Kakashi turned towards his students and barked, "Manji Formation! Protect Tazuna!" as soon as he said that Team Seven placed themselves around Tazuna, flanking him. "This guy is way out of your league. I'll take him on!" he said.

Zabuza smirked through his bandages. "Are you sure that is wise Kakashi? To leave your brats so open to my attacks?" he said as he performed several hand seals, before calling out, "**Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu. (Water Release: Hiding in Mist Technique)**"

A thick mist suddenly enveloped the area, making it very hard to see. Naruko was even more worried because she couldn't sense Naruto anywhere due to the chakra charged mist. Although they still maintained a bond, the bond doesn't tell the location of her partner and that unnerved her greatly.

As if from everywhere at once, Zabuza's voice drawled out, "So many places to kill a person, which one should I go for first? Liver, lungs, jugular, heart, artery, kidney . . ." he said with a mad chuckle.

Kakashi held his hand over his hitai-ate. "Be careful! Zabuza is a master of the Silent Killing! He can kill you without even making a sound, so keep your eyes open!" he pulled up his headband as his left eye was revealed to the world. "Seems like I'll have to get serious . . ."

Zabuza laughed. "Hah! Using the Sharingan so soon? I am honored," he mocked as he continued to laugh.

Sasuke froze as he heard that, trembling in fear and confusion. "H-how?"

"Sharingan?" Sakura questioned, "What's that?"

Sasuke answered for her. "It's a Dōjutsu of my clan; it's a powerful Kekkei Genkai . . ." he said, unnerved, "So why does Kakashi-sensei have it?" he asked angrily.

Naruko ignored the conversation as she closed her eyes and calmed herself down. Reaching out towards her brother, she smiled to herself as she felt his familiar presence in her mind, calming her down, telling her everything was okay. It would prove to be a good move, as they were suddenly hit by a huge wave of killing intent. If Naruko hadn't been subjected to one of Kurama's rare rages, she would've fared far worse than she was now, as she managed to pale only a little as she forced her mind to think of other things. Sakura was already on her knees, eyes wide in fright while Sasuke was trembling and was pointing his kunai blade at his stomach, wanting to end it all.

Naruko grabbed his hand and yanked it away, forcing him to look into her eyes. "Don't be stupid Sasuke; keep your head in the game! Kakashi-sensei will protect us!" she said as she fought the images of her death from her mind. Kurama's rages were worse, she kept on telling herself. _This guy can't even hold a candle up to Kurama-nii's rages,_ Naruko thought with a small smile, _this guy's killing intent feels like a kitten's . . . _she added, making Kurama who was watching the whole scene burst out in laughter.

Kakashi looked back at Sasuke as he eye smiled. "She's right Sasuke. Don't worry; I won't let my friends die." He declared with conviction, causing Sasuke and Sakura to relax a little, although they were still on edge.

Zabuza spoke, his voice sounding amused as it filtered through the air. "Oh? The little girl is stronger than meets the eye; she took my Killing Intent without as much as a blink . . ." he chuckled. "I will enjoy this."

Kakashi's eyes widened as he whirled on his team, "Look out!" he warned but it was too late as Zabuza was already in the middle of Team Seven's formation, ready to swing his massive blade to cut down Tazuna.

Suddenly, the familiar clang of metal clashing metal was heard and to everyone's surprise and stunned shock, standing in front of Tazuna pushing against the giant blade of Zabuza's was Naruto with a katana, his own blade grinding sparks against Zabuza's larger one. They didn't even saw them move save for Kakashi since he had his Sharingan, but for a mere Genin to move at those speeds was nothing short of phenomenal.

Zabuza snapped out of his momentary shock as he narrowed his eyes at the blonde boy. "Impressive for one so young to block my blade," he complimented. "Tell me, how good are you with that blade of yours?"

Naruto smirked as he pushed further against the blade. "I don't know . . ." he shrugged, "Why don't you find out, you and me, my katana against your Kubikiribōchō (Executioner's Blade), right here, right now." He challenged, making Zabuza smirk to widen maniacally.

"Good! Show me what you are made of boy!" he yelled as he pulled back and slammed his blade downwards, intending to slice Naruto in half as the boy tensed, holding up his blade.

The Battle for Nami had officially begun.

* * *

**And we are done Ladies and Gentlemen! **

**Phew, took me awhile to write this, but I love every single moment I've devoted my time into writing this chapter! It was about time I used the time skip feature most fanfics used, plus it'll be quite boring if things continued with a day by day pace, and frankly I'm getting bored. I need some action and adventure and getting the damn plot going! I'm not gonna lie, I look forward to writing the Wave Arc, so expect one or two chapters about it at most, then we'll move on to the Chūnin Exams! Whoopee! Kicking Orochi-teme's ass for the win! Eh hem, pardon my French . . .**

**So anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it, and I'll see you in the next installment of Destiny Rebirth!**

**This is HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE!**


	11. The Wave at its Height!

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Eleven: The Wave at its height!**

* * *

Naruto narrowed his cerulean eyes as he sidestepped the blow that was aimed at carving him in half, letting Zabuza's sword crash beside him before bringing his katana up to slash at Zabuza's neck, making the man jump back, pulling his sword along with him. Hefting the massive blade, Zabuza charged forward with a roar as he swung again, Naruto parrying the assault by deflecting it to the side as he knew his katana couldn't withstand the weight of Kubikiribōchō, no matter how well forged it was.

The two shinobi continued their dance of blades — dodging, weaving, slashing, cutting, stabbing — it was like a sick parody of a ballet where one small error could mean the difference between losing an arm and losing your life, and Zabuza was clearly having an advantage due to his larger size and longer reach as compared to Naruto, who had to rely on his speed and reflexes to counter the Kiri shinobi's strikes.

The rest of Team Seven looked on in shock and awe at the dangerous display of swordplay between the two fighters, and the tension in the air was palpable. Those who hadn't witnessed Naruto's swordplay skills and were now seeing them first hand were stunned at how well versed he was in the art as he could stand his ground against one of the great Swordsman of the Mist.

Naruko was the most worried of them all and she gasped in fear when one of Zabuza's slashes almost took Naruto's head off, but the blonde boy easily ducked under it before holding his own blade in a reverse grip and came onto the man again, blade a blur of gray lightning as he brought it down against Zabuza's blade.

In the shocked silence, Kakashi was the one who broke it, "Naruko . . . when did your brother pick up on kenjutsu?"

Naruko merely kept her gaze on the battle, eyes never leaving the form of her precious person. "He told me he picked it up after the bell test, and he has been training for the past few weeks to master it."

Kakashi just nodded at her explanation and continued to watch the battle, the only thing he could think of was, '_Remarkable . . .'_

Naruko remembered how surprised she had been when Naruto had approached her one night for her opinion whether he should learn kenjutsu since he had a lot of free time on his hands. He had reasoned that a shinobi must have an ace up their sleeves and must adapt to any given situation, and that was why Naruko gave him her consent and her unwavering support.

The katana Naruto was using was no ordinary katana either — it was forged with the strongest chakra conducting steel that Konoha could provide and was forged by master smiths from Tetsu no Kuni (Land of Iron), the Land of Samurai, courtesy of the Sandaime. The style of kenjutsu that Naruto was currently utilizing was his own, taking advantage of his superior speed and strength to incorporate it into his new style, which was simple as it was deadly.

Naruto hadn't given a name to it yet, and was content with calling it Naruto's Kenjutsu Style.

Naruko grinned in amusement at that particular memory.

At some point during the duel, Kakashi had pulled down his headband over his left eye to conserve his chakra as using the Sharingan was taxing on his body and mind. Sasuke was gripping his kunai tightly in his hands, knuckles white as he gritted his teeth in frustration at the thought of the blonde boy outshining him yet again by facing down an A-rank missing-nin single handedly. It pissed off the Last Uchiha to no end and he vowed to surpass Naruto in every way he can, even if it means killing him to do so . . .

Sakura just stared dumbfounded at the scene, mouth open in shock. "I-Is he always this strong?" she asked shakily, and Naruko couldn't blame her. It was not every day a thirteen year old Genin could stand up to an A-rank missing-nin, but then again, Naruto was no ordinary Genin, Naruko reminded herself.

Zabuza grunted as he caught Naruto's slash and placed them in a blade lock, grinning maniacally behind his bandages. "Very impressive boy!" he complimented, "Not only are you young, but you managed to keep up with me! Most people are already dead by this point!" he said as he cackled.

Naruto glared neutrally at Zabuza, cerulean eyes cold and calm, not even feeling a slight bit winded from the ordeal. "I thank you for the compliment, Zabuza-san, but is this really the time to be talking to your enemy?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Zabuza laughed as he smirked. "You've got guts brat, I'll give you that much!" he sneered, "You can't win, soon you will be dead, along with your friends and that old man. So, I'll make you a deal," he jerked his head towards Tazuna who was watching with a stupefied and scared expression. "Give me the old man, and I'll let your friends live and you can join me."

Naruto faced him, expression seemingly curious. "Join you?" he parroted and Zabuza was about to speak before Naruto cut him off, "As a tool? A slave? A weapon that when you deemed it useless, you'll discard it like anything else, is that it? For what, just so you can become the Mizukage?" he asked coldly, each word making Zabuza's face paler by the minute, but the man hid it well.

_'__How did he know so much?' _Zabuza mentally asked with narrowed eyes, '_This boy is dangerous… I'll have to get rid of him now!'_ He thought before slamming Kubikiribōchō into Naruto's katana and leaped away.

"I'm afraid play time is over brat, I'll have to kill you now. Thank you for the duel though, that was the most fun I've had in a long time." He said as he ran through some hand signs, causing Kakashi to move quickly in hopes of catching it in time. "**Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu! (Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique)**" he yelled as a massive torrent of water several meters in height formed in front of Zabuza, spinning violently towards where Naruto was standing, who held his blade in his right hand positioning it over his left shoulder, eyes closed in concentration.

"Naruto! Get out of the way!" Kakashi yelled as he rapidly ran through some hand signs. '_Damn it! I can't make it in time!' _He thought frantically as he watched helplessly as the giant wave of water moved on relentlessly towards Naruto. It reminded him too much of when Obito sacrificed his life for him. '_No, not again . . .'_ he thought.

Naruto was unconcerned however. He focused his chakra into his blade as his mind imagined two surfaces grinding against each other and splitting in half. Soon the sound of raging water from Zabuza's attack was drowned out by the buzzing coming from his blade. The blue hue of Naruto's chakra coated his katana, forming a saw-like impression on the blade's edge as he poured more power into the blade as everyone watched on in shock, sensing the power behind the technique he was about to utilize after weeks of trial and error.

"Focus power into the blade . . ." Naruto muttered as he brought his blade up higher over his left shoulder, the buzzing gaining an octave as he did. "And unleash it!" he yelled as he swung his blade downwards in a diagonal slash, shouting, "**Fūton: Kazekiri no Jutsu! (Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique)**"

The energy stored within the blade was unleashed in a single, decisive moment as a massive blade of wind erupted from the tip of the blade and continued on its intended path heading straight towards Zabuza's technique. To everyone's shocked surprise, this blade of wind _dissected _the torrent of water in a half and continued onwards without losing its momentum towards Zabuza, who only had a split second to admire the jutsu before he jumped away to avoid getting maimed. The blade of wind continued onwards, leaving a visible imprint on the ground and slicing through several trees before dissipating, carving out a path of destruction in its wake.

Naruto opened his eyes and admired his handiwork as he nodded in satisfaction. It still needed some improving and some slight adjustments, but Naruto was confident that this new technique could become one of his more versatile techniques alongside his Kage Bunshin and the Rasengan . . .

Naruko was the first to recover from her stunned stupor as she yelled. "Sugoi, Onii-chan!"

Zabuza hefted his blade on his shoulder as he narrowed his eyes. "That attack… it broke through my water jutsu without even trying!" he muttered. The brat was already dangerous with his — if he had to guess, low-Jōnin level kenjutsu — and Zabuza had started to be wary of the blonde boy as he had never seen someone so young that held so much potential. Now after seeing one of his most powerful jutsus getting swatted away like it was nothing, Zabuza was even more worried.

Naruto swung his katana in a flourish as he pointed it at Zabuza.

"I will never die here Zabuza-san, nor will I _ever _die!" Naruto declared, eyes burning with determination, "Until the day I see my sister become Hokage, I will _never_ die! Do not think me an incompetent brat that you can so easily kill and swat away, since I am not!" he stated as he charged once more, his blade nothing but a blur as he clashed with Zabuza once more, who was forced on the defensive as Naruto had channeled wind chakra into his katana, increasing its cutting power.

So Zabuza had to be careful with how he handled his sword because in one wrong move, he would only be left with half of Kubikiribōchō, which was _not _what he wanted.

Zabuza growled.

"Don't get cocky, brat!" he shouted in anger as he brought his cleaver down, missing the blonde boy by a hair who countered with a slash across his chest which he blocked with his sword's immense size, Naruto's wind powered katana nicking at the blade bit by bit, leaving visible incisions on it.

Naruko smiled warmly at Naruto as he spoke those words. His determination, spirit and drive were only rivalled by hers and their father. She took a breath before pulling out several kunais. She needed to help and she sure as hell would not stand on the sidelines and watch! That was just degrading if you asked her. She rushed off to join Kakashi who was waiting for an opportunity to strike, but had no such luck so far as the two duelists were moving too fast. The silver haired Jōnin turned to look at her in surprise before narrowing his eyes, allowing Naruko to see the contrasting colors of his eyes — dark colored in his right eye and the red of the three-tomoed Sharingan in his left. It was kind of cool in her opinion.

"Naruko, what are you doing here?" Kakashi asked, not keeping his eyes off the battle, in time to see Naruto nick Zabuza on the cheek, enraging the missing-nin further. "Even if you _are_ talented, this battle is way out of your league." He said truthfully, "But apparently not for your brother . . ."

Naruko nodded as she readied her kunais, sensing that her teammates had landed beside her as well. "Don't worry Kakashi-sensei, I know what I'm doing." She replied with a small smile.

Kakashi chanced a glance at her, "What do you —" he never finished his question when Naruko suddenly rushed forward, his hands falling short of her shirt in a vain attempt to pull her back. "Naruko! Damn it!" he cursed as he too rushed after her, but not before turning to his remaining students,

"Stay with Tazuna, protect him at all costs! That's an order!" seeing his two students reluctantly nod, he ran after his wayward student.

Zabuza was pissed. His form was slightly cut in multiple places along his arms, legs and cheek. Deeper gashes were visible along his cheek which was bleeding quite profusely as well as the one at his side, where the brat had gotten a lucky hit in — no, not a lucky hit, a calculated hit that predicted his movements just enough to land that blow on him — and Zabuza couldn't help but grudgingly respect the blonde.

Never before had he seen such a prodigy in the arts of kenjutsu outside of Kiri, a young _Genin_ at that! If the situation allowed it, Zabuza planned to take the boy away to mold him into his weapon, as it was certainly a _huge _boon for him to come across a boy with this much potential.

Naruto fared a little better than his adversary as they pulled away and stood facing one another, each of them studying the other for their next moves. He only received minor cuts and bruises caused by Kubikiribōchō's extended reach and the bruises were from Zabuza backhanding or smacking him with the flat end of his blade, but all in all he was fine and was ready for another round.

Naruto had been skeptical about his chances against Zabuza with just pure kenjutsu since he had only just begun to wield a sword only a few weeks ago and he wasn't sure how he would fare against an experienced practitioner in the art. Apparently fighting his own clones helped tremendously as he kept on trying to improve himself, finding holes in his stances from his clones and modifying his unique kenjutsu style and that was enough to put him on equal grounds with Zabuza, which Naruto was silently proud of himself for.

Naruto was broken out of his thoughts when Zabuza came upon him again with a roar and was about to block his downward slash with his katana when his bond with Naruko flared brilliantly, causing him to smirk before he jumped back from the blow, causing Kubikiribōchō to be lodged deep into the ground.

Zabuza struggled a bit to pull his sword free and when he did, he looked up in time to see Naruto charging at him and he swung his blade, smiling in sick delight as he cut the blonde boy in half by the waist but it faded just as quickly as it appeared when the supposedly 'dead' boy disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

_'__Kage Bunshin!?'_ Zabuza thought frantically before his danger senses warned him of another threat, forcing him to quickly leap backwards as a hailstorm of kunai emerged from the cover of smoke, coming right at him.

_'__Does he think some mere kunai can stop me?'_ Zabuza thought as he parried the kunai with the flat side of his blade, easily blocking them. He looked up once more to see more kunai coming at him, this time with paper bombs attached.

_'__Crap…'_ was all he thought as he leaped away from the veritable barrage as they exploded at where he had been standing.

Zabuza landed a few feet away as he turned to see the blonde girl from Kakashi's Genin team preparing to throw a fūma shuriken at him, '_So that's where the kunais are coming from . . . very impressive accuracy.'_

As the fūma shuriken flew at him, Zabuza slammed his sword tip first into the ground before doing a handstand on its grip, easily dodging the shuriken before he noticed a _second _fūma shuriken in the shadow of the first one. He reacted by gripping his sword and pulling on it as an anchor to the ground, narrowly dodging the second shuriken, and he couldn't help but be impressed by the girl's skill at shurikenjutsu.

Zabuza didn't have time to congratulate himself just yet as the second fūma shuriken suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke to reveal Naruto who quickly sent a kunai at him while in midair, making his eyes widen in shock. He had been duped by the double attack, allowing Naruto to get in close when he was off guard. Still, Zabuza wasn't infamous for nothing as he pulled Kubikiribōchō free to deflect the thrown weapon, but the next few moments shocked him, no matter which angle he looked at it.

One moment, Naruto was still in midair, flying away from Zabuza after he had thrown his kunai. The next moment, Naruto was suddenly in front of him, sword ready to slash him from kidney to shoulder. It all happened so fast that Zabuza was too stunned to think of anything else, only relying on his instincts as he flipped backwards and away from the blonde's slash, which had fortunately just grazed him but he got nicked in the end. He had greatly underestimated the boy's speed and he was sure Naruto had used shushin to close the distance that quickly, there was no other explanation.

Unknown to Zabuza, the truth was quite the opposite in fact — _Naruto _was the kunai. It was simple as it was reckless. No speed, just deception. He had transformed himself into a kunai and was stored in his shadow clone's pocket before being thrown at his quarry, and correctly predicting that Zabuza would just block his transformed state. All he had to do was **Henge** back to normal and attack, which worked to perfection if Naruto had to say so himself.

Naruko, who had been privy to the improvised plan beforehand through their mental bond, couldn't help but release the breath that she never knew she was holding. That attack scared the living daylights out of her as it was too reckless in her opinion. She wondered if Naruto got his kicks by doing reckless acts of bravery . . .

**"****You better get used to it," **Kurama's voice sounded in her mind, **"Naruto likes to think on his toes whenever a fight goes downhill, so reckless acts are the norm for someone like him. He'll be fine though, he has done this over a million times."** Somehow, Naruko still couldn't find solace in the Bijū's words.

_– __Oi, Oi, – _Naruto's said through the bond,_ – Don't go talking about me behind my back, even if she is my cute little sister. –_

**"****Then stop doing reckless acts that makes her so worried you idiot!"** Kurama said in a scolding tone, causing Naruko to giggle mentally when she felt Naruto mentally grimace as a wash of guilt drifted over the bond.

_– __Hai… sorry Naruko-chan, –_

Naruko shook her head as Naruto came to stand beside her, "Don't worry, but please try not to do that again? It reminded me too much of when Sasuke almost killed you . . ." she said quietly.

Naruto winced as he sent a warm, apologetic nudge through their bond. "I will . . . I promise Naruko-chan."

Just then Kakashi appeared in front of the two, the silver-haired man eying the still recovering Zabuza with narrow eyes. "Good job Naruto, Naruko, I'll take it from here." He said as he readied his kunai, "Leave this to me."

And with that he charged forwards, leaving Naruko to tend to her brother's minor wounds.

The rest of the battle moved like a blur as Kakashi and Zabuza traded blows and jutsus, with Zabuza's attacks visibly weakening thanks to the multiple wounds inflicted upon him by Naruto. Naruto could only stare and watch as he and Naruko stood on their guard while Sasuke and Sakura protected Tazuna who had hung back at the edge of the clearing they were fighting in. Kakashi's form was a blur of motion, slicing, stabbing, whirling, kicking and punching as he fought like what the Bingo Books had said about him – a deadly shinobi.

Finally, after several grueling minutes, Kakashi and Zabuza were standing on the surface of the river, each racing through hand signs faster than the eye could perceive as they called out their respective jutsus, "**Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu! (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique)**"

Two water dragons rose from the river and crashed into one another, creating a shower of water as the techniques cancelled each other out. Zabuza was running through another set of hand signs but he was visibly weakened due to chakra exhaustion and blood loss, but his face betrayed nothing as he glared at Kakashi.

_'__Damn that blonde gaki for weakening me!' _He thought with irritation, '_I still can't believe a kid like him could possibly—' _

"— land a hit on you?" Kakashi said as he too ran through his set of hand signs, which were the exact same as his own.

Zabuza narrowed his eyes, '_Impossible! How could he possibly be _—_' _

"— reading your mind?" Kakashi offered.

"Shut up you damn parrot!" Zabuza shouted. He then noticed that the rate in which he was going through his hand signs suddenly slowed to a crawl as he widened his eyes in shock as he looked at Kakashi, "What?!" he didn't had the chance to continue his retort however when Kakashi finished his own hand signs and called out.

"**Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!**"

A violent surge of river water rose and crashed into Zabuza, who was carried haphazardly towards the shore by the current and he was eventually slammed into a nearby tree; beaten, broken and bloody. Kakashi appeared and stood over him with a kunai in hand; ready to plunge it deep into the other man's chest.

Zabuza weakly looked up at Kakashi, "Can you see the future?" he asked, not quite believing even himself at the moment.

Kakashi nodded, "Yes — and I've foreseen… your death." He stated as he readied to kill him. Suddenly out of nowhere, two senbon needles struck Zabuza's neck and the missing-nin stiffened before he went slack.

"Yes, your death was swift I assure you . . ." a voice above Kakashi said as the man looked up to see a Kiri hunter-nin with long brown hair wearing a battle kimono standing on one of the branches of the tree, "Thank you for dealing with him — I have been hunting this man for quite some time." The hunter-nin landed in front of Zabuza as he/she bowed, "You have my gratitude."

Kakashi walked up to Zabuza and placed his fingers on the man's carotid artery, checking for pulse. He idly registered that his team and Naruto had landed behind him as he pulled back with a solemn nod, "Dead." He confirmed.

Sakura quietly stared in awe, "Hey, isn't that a hunter-nin?" she asked quietly to Sasuke who just hummed an annoyed response.

The hunter-nin put the dead Zabuza's arm over his/her shoulders as he/she spoke, "I'll be disposing of the body now," the nin turned and bowed one last time, "Thank you again for your assistance." And with that, the two forms vanished in a swirl of water, leaving behind Zabuza's pool of blood under the tree . . .

Kakashi sighed as he replaced his headband over his Sharingan eye, "Now that that's over, we should get going to . . ." he didn't finish his sentence before he started collapsing. In an instant, two of Naruto's clones were holding him up as they slung the man's limp arms over each of their shoulders, one on each. Sakura was slightly panicky as she asked what was wrong and, surprisingly it was Sasuke who answered.

"Must be from chakra exhaustion," he explained, "Non-Uchihas would naturally consume more chakra when they use the Sharingan as they are not blood Uchiha, thus increasing the strain on their bodies . . ."

Naruto nodded as he signaled to Naruko, who turned to Tazuna. "Tazuna-san, where is your home?" she asked politely. "We need some place to rest and Kakashi-sensei needs medical attention."

Tazuna was only all too happy to oblige as he nodded eagerly. "After what you guys did, I'll be more than happy to have you in our home . . ." he said happily.

Naruko smiled in gratitude as she and the rest of the small group made their way towards Tazuna's home, happy to get some well-earned rest after an exhausting day . . .

* * *

After being greeted by Tazuna's daughter — a beautiful middle aged woman with shoulder length dark blue hair named Tsunami — at the door, Naruto had his clones bring Kakashi to one of the spare rooms to let the exhausted Jōnin have his rest. In Naruto's own honest opinion, he wasn't doing too hot himself — his clothes were torn in multiple places, dried blotches of blood stains remained from his earlier cuts — he looked terrible.

So he had asked Tsunami for the bathroom so he could wash up and get a change of clothes, which the woman accepted without doubt, seeing the state he was in while she and Naruko attended to Kakashi's wounds. A few minutes later, Naruto was in the middle of toweling his unruly blonde locks after putting a new set of clothes on after the relaxing shower when he heard the muffled voices of Team Seven inside Kakashi's room, prompting him to make a beeline to the room before he opened the door, making the occupants look up at him.

Kakashi weakly eye smiled at him from the futon. "Ah Naruto, glad you could join us," he said, "I was just about to brief you guys about the current situation . . ."

"Zabuza's still alive, I take it?" Naruto asked casually as he took a seat beside Naruko who was on Kakashi's left.

Everyone around him shot him shocked and disbelieved looks as Sakura shouted, "What do you mean he's still alive?!"

Naruto just shrugged.

"You don't kill people with senbon strikes to the neck; a kunai would do just fine." He said, "It isn't practical, and senbon can only be lethal when coated with poison or if it hits the eye or somewhere fatal. Plus, that hunter-nin was a fake." He explained. '_Besides that, Haku loathes killing people anyway . . . and it won't be any different now.'_ He added silently.

Sasuke grunted. "What do you mean that hunter was a fake?" he asked, albeit rather rudely as he was still pissed at not doing anything to prove himself today.

Naruto arched an eyebrow. "I ask you this Uchiha-san," he began, "What do hunter-nins do after killing their assigned targets?" he asked.

Sasuke seemed to contemplate while Sakura was deep in thought, Naruto content with letting them figure this out on their own. Kakashi was in the same boat as him since the man remained quiet throughout Naruto's deduction.

It was Naruko who answered, "They destroy the body on the spot," she said. ". . . and take the head as proof for identification purposes as even corpses could hold important village secrets."

Naruto nodded in approval as Kakashi decided to pick up where they had left off, "Exactly, but the hunter-nin just took his body and left, and it was Naruto's final input about the weapons used to kill Zabuza confirmed my suspicions that he is still alive." He said seriously, earning glum looks from his students. Kakashi sighed, "I estimate only a week before he can fully recover, judging by his injuries, so we have to use that time to get you guys stronger." He said.

Sakura looked confused. "How?" she asked, "With you being weakened as you are who can train us?"

Kakashi said nothing as he smiled, his eye crinkling into his patented U-shape, at her. "Why I am of course!" he said cheerily, making the rest of Team Seven widen their eyes in disbelief. "I may be weakened, but I still have enough energy left in me to watch over you guys. Don't count me out just yet." He explained, eye smile still in place.

Naruto just nodded, not perturbed in the slightest by the man's answer as it was the same the first time around, and the boy couldn't be happier. "Alright, I'll bite. Meet up tomorrow at seven as usual?" he asked, earning a nod from Kakashi, and Naruto smiled. "Great, I'll see you then sensei." And with that, Naruto stood and left, waving as he did leaving the rest of the room's occupants to wonder where he was going.

Naruko yawned when she also stood and rubbed her eyes, shuffling towards the door, "I'll retire as well, have a good night you guys." She said as she disappeared around the door, leaving the two Genin and one incapacitated Jōnin alone.

Naruko walked downstairs to see Tazuna sitting at the house's dining table, surprisingly not drinking as she would expect, instead he was fast asleep leaning against the chair, snoring. She also noticed that her brother wasn't around either. Curiosity getting the better of her, Naruko went to the kitchen where Tsunami was doing the dishes and the woman turned to greet the girl as she smiled.

"Hello Naruko-san," Tsunami greeted, "What can I do for you?"

Naruko shook her head with a smile, "Have you seen my brother?" she asked. "He's slightly taller than me, has blonde hair, blue eyes . . ." she added for the woman's reference, which helped as Tsunami nodded in recognition.

"Why yes, I do." Tsunami looked out the window, "He said he went out to do some training, whatever that means. Anyways, he's outside." She supplied with a smile, making Naruko thank her before heading out herself.

A few moments of wandering around trying to find her brother later — which Naruko was still kicking herself for since she can sense his chakra signature easily — Naruko found him standing on the beach outside Tazuna's house, gazing over the horizon with calm azure eyes. Naruto blinked when he noticed her and he turned his head to face her, smiling warmly as he did.

"Hey Naruko-chan," he greeted.

Naruko smiled as she stood beside him, "Hey yourself," she replied cheekily, "What are you doing out here all by yourself?"

The blonde boy shrugged as he continued to gaze at the ocean, watching the waves cascading and crashing against the shore in short, steady intervals. "I thought Tsunami-san already told you?" he responded.

Naruko rolled her eyes. "She did, but she said you were training, but your current activity proves otherwise." She said with a cheeky smile.

Naruto chuckled as he gazed at the moon's reflection on the ocean, seemingly deep in thought. A few moments passed before he spoke again, "We're not ready . . ." he suddenly announced, making Naruko jolt slightly in surprise.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Naruto ran his right hand through his spiky locks as he frowned thoughtfully. "We're not ready to face Zabuza again, not by a long shot." He stated, "We got lucky today because he underestimated us, but he won't be so foolish next time. Plus, he had that hunter-nin working for him."

Naruko nodded slowly as she processed the information as Naruto continued to speak. "I know Kakashi-sensei can take care of himself, and I know you and I can handle ourselves pretty well, it's Sasuke and Sakura I'm worried about . . ." he explained as he frowned again, "Sasuke's too hell-bent on revenge and doesn't take too kindly about others outshining him, and Sakura, though improving, is still woefully inadequate to even be part of this battle."

Naruko frowned as her brother's word rang true. Sasuke was still too prideful and Sakura was still a bit useless, not _totally_, but slightly above. Their team dynamics were abysmal, with Sasuke refusing to work with either her or Sakura for that matter, and it irked to blonde haired kunoichi to no end. Naruko knew she needed to knock some sense into the raven haired Uchiha before the unthinkable happens. She shivered at her brother's memories about his Sasuke flashed through her mind.

His Sasuke that betrayed Konoha for power . . .

Shaking her head to clear away the uncomfortable thoughts, Naruko breathed in deep before a determined glint made its way into her violet eyes. She'll be damned if she didn't do anything to prevent Naruto's dark future ever coming to pass. If she had to play nice with the Uchiha, so be it. But, Naruko vowed to herself, she wouldn't hesitate to break every bone in the raven head's body should he decide that power was more important than the village itself.

Naruko sighed as she pulled him into a half hug as she leaned her head on his left shoulder. "What's done is done Onii-chan, we'll just have to hope that it's enough . . ." she said, making Naruto looked at her enquiringly, "We need to have faith in our teammates, faith that they will pull through this and survive and come out stronger than before . . ."

Naruto nodded with a smile, proud of his sister's wisdom at such a young age. "You're right." He took a deep breath before expelling it, grinning as he did. "Then that settles it!" he said loudly, startling the blonde beauty beside him as he continued, "I'll put my faith in my teammates as well, and hope for the best!" he exclaimed. Naruto may have become more cynical and his personality tempered into steel by the Fourth War, but he was still Uzumaki Naruto, knuckleheaded ninja of Konoha. He always had faith even in the direst of situations, because that's just how he was.

Naruko smiled at him before a question popped in her mind, "By the way, why are you out here all by yourself if it's not for training?"

Naruto brought his hand up and rubbed his chin in a thinking pose, making Naruko giggle slightly. "I was thinking of teaching _that_ jutsu to you." He replied, emphasizing on the word 'that'.

Naruko tilted her head in confusion, "What jutsu?" she asked, inwardly excited to learn a new technique to add to her ninjutsu arsenal. Although mastering the Academy basics along with the Kage Bunshin was already good enough for her at the moment, but Naruko thought it couldn't hurt to add another jutsu to her list. Besides, she had come to love the training sessions with her brother, which was one of her favorite pastimes alongside taking a walk in the village and reading up on fūinjutsu.

Naruto smirked mysteriously. "You'll find out when we train tomorrow~" he sang out, avoiding a smack from Naruko as he laughed at her pouting expression. He had said this once too many times already, but she was so damn cute!

Naruko huffed indignantly as she pouted, "Fine . . ." she said. "This jutsu better be worth all the hype!"

Naruto laughed, "Hai, hai . . ." he replied as he led her into Tazuna's home, "You won't regret it, I promise you, and I keep my promises: Uzumaki's honor."

Naruko snorted an unladylike snort as she replied, "We're shinobi, we don't have honor." She stated as-a-matter-of-factly.

Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment before he shrugged as he grinned, "I guess not."

Naruko laughed as they reached the main door. "If it makes you feel better, I'll accept your honor as my beloved brother." She said with a warm smile.

Naruto chuckled, "Okay, okay, you've got me." He laughed, "Let's get to sleep — we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

* * *

The next day, after waking up at seven with Kakashi arriving wobbling with crutches at nine – earlier than usual, but still late – Team Seven plus Naruto were currently in the middle of a small clearing surrounding Tazuna's house, the same place as last time back in Naruto's time. The four Genin were standing in front of Kakashi, who was clutching his crutches under his arms as he eye smiled at them.

"Alright, now to begin your training." He said cheerfully, and Kakashi went on to explain chakra control exercises and why was it important to do them which Naruto simply tuned out most of them as he had been through this lecture the first time around. Naruko was also in the same boat since Naruto had already explained it to her already, and it seemed redundant to the blonde haired girl to listen to it from another person. Besides, she was too excited about the mysterious jutsu Naruto was about to teach her.

Kakashi eye smiled as he faced his students. "For today's exercise, we're going to —" he announced, pausing a moment for a dramatic effect, "— climb trees!" he finished cheerily, earning two face-faults and two amused expressions.

Sakura was the first to recover. "What do you mean sensei?" she asked, incredulity lacing her tone. Sasuke just grunted in agreement as he eyed the Jōnin, wondering silently if this was a sick joke played by the silver haired man. Naruto meanwhile hid his amused smirk by coughing slightly into his fist while Naruko simply rolled her eyes playfully at his lame attempt at masking his amusement.

Kakashi shrugged. "We're climbing trees today, but there's a small catch . . ." he paused for a moment before speaking, "you're going to climb trees without using your hands, only your feet." He explained, earning disbelieving looks from all but two of his Genin, which confused him. Did they know it already? "It's called the tree climbing exercise."

Kakashi gestured to the four trees behind him, "Each of you will climb one of each of these trees until you have completely mastered it by making it to the top. I'll demonstrate." Kakashi proceeded to walk up one of the trees before hanging upside down below one of the branches, looking at his students. "Do you get it now?" he asked, eye smiling.

Sasuke looked eager to begin while Sakura looked slightly worried as this exercise seemed to be pretty hard in her opinion. Naruko looked at her brother with a knowing smile which the boy returned, already knowing what she was thinking — you copied our sensei, reminiscing about the time when Naruto had shown her the exercise.

He only offered a weak shrug in response.

Naruto cleared his throat to get Kakashi's attention, who was still wobbly with his crutches. "Kakashi-sensei, I already know this exercise." He said, earning three stunned and surprised looks from the rest of the Konoha shinobi.

Naruko spoke up as well, "I do too, sensei."

Kakashi snapped out of his stupor and managed to compose himself before speaking, "Hmm? How did you know this exercise?" he said, as he already had a good idea where they had learned it from.

Naruto shrugged. "I knew this exercise since before starting the Academy, and I've already taught it to Naruko-chan the day after our Bell Test." He explained, causing Sasuke to slightly glare in the Uzumaki sibling's direction while Sakura looked on in jealousy.

The two blondes had already advanced far beyond their teammates, and neither of them had noticed up until now. It made Sakura feel how far behind she was as compared to her teammates who were already so far ahead in such a short time. Sasuke just silently fumed at being outshone again, and he cursed Naruto's name for what was probably the thousandth time since meeting the boy.

Kakashi shook his head. He should've have known Naruto would possess advanced skills if the Sandaime was so confident in the boy's abilities to allow independent cell status. "Alright, do you have any other exercises in mind?"

Naruto nodded. "I was planning on training with Naruko-chan here, if you'll let us." He said, indirectly asking for permission.

Kakashi, catching the well worded sentence, nodded his assent. "Alright, but stay close. We need to be ready to defend the bridge if Gatō decides to move early."

Naruto nodded as he mouthing a small thank you before gesturing for Naruko to follow him to a nearby clearing close to where Team Seven was at. Sasuke meanwhile was glaring holes into Naruto's back, his anger and jealousy at the blonde magnifying to its peak, which Kakashi noticed with small frown. Anger at being shone up yet _again_ and of course the building resentment and jealousy for the closeness Naruko shared with him.

Kakashi frowned,_ 'I have to be careful when broaching the subject about Naruto to Sasuke . . .'_ Kakashi thought, '_His pride and ego are going to destroy him entirely if this keeps up . . .'_ he thought worriedly as he proceeded to train the remaining members of his Genin squad.

At the other clearing, Naruto took a moment to look around before nodding in satisfaction as he turned around to look at Naruko, who was waiting for him with an eager expression. Naruto chuckled as he pulled out a storage scroll from his pocket – the one with the advanced storage seals – and unfurled it and channeled chakra into them. The contents revealed themselves to be pails filled with . . .

"Water balloons?" Naruko asked incredulously as she eyed the balloons, a small frown on her face.

Naruto adopted a lecturing pose as he explained, "Yes, water balloons. They will help with the first exercise for the technique that I'm about to teach you, so please pay attention." Naruko nodded as she turned serious, listening intently to his words. "This technique is simplified into three stages: chakra rotation, power and containment." Naruto explained as Naruko nodded, slowly absorbing the new information. "Chakra rotation is what it is, which is rotating your chakra whilst maintaining control, a controlled but _violent_ rotation."

"Next is power, where you condense your chakra to create enough force to crush solid rock. Then there's the third and final step: containment, where you combine both chakra rotation and power in a contained package. Combining those three together and you will get a devastating jutsu that can grind anything into dust . . ."

Naruto held out a palm as he let his chakra seep out, quickly compacting it into a condensed whirlwind of rotating energy, "Its name is . . ."

* * *

The first four days passed by without incident as Team Seven continued to train with their sensei. Sakura had learned the tree climbing exercise on her first try while Sasuke took the latter part of the first day to get it down, driven by the need to surpass Naruto and kill his brother. In the meantime, Naruto had his clones practice his kenjutsu along with chakra control exercises along with a few elemental ninjutsu to add to his arsenal while also coaching his sister in her own training.

Naruto was nothing short of astonished as in a few short hours, with the usage of her Kage Bunshin, Naruko had managed to complete the first stage of her training and was going for the second one, which was bursting rubber balls using her chakra instead of water balloons. The rate at which she was improving stunned the blonde haired time traveler, and he wondered if he were to receive proper training back in his time, he could've avoided the 'Dead Last' phase when he was younger.

Naruto quickly dismissed those thoughts as he reminded himself that the past was in the past, and he would look forward to the future.

The Konoha ninja were just done with the day's training and was chatting away – Sasuke still brooding while Naruto preferred to smile and nod and only answer questions when asked whilst reading up on the fūinjutsu book he had brought along – at the dining table with Tazuna's family when a somber and depressed voice broke them out of the amicable mood.

"Why do you keep fighting?" a tiny voice with barely restrained anger and frustration asked as everyone turned to a little boy of eight who spoke, "You're all going to die in the end… Gatō is too strong for anyone to beat."

Naruto frowned as he remembered this moment from his time. Inari was still the same angry and depressed young boy Naruto had met when he first came to Wave with his own team the first time around. He already had a plan on how to deal with the back haired boy, and he only needed the right opening to begin . . .

Sakura sighed as she looked sadly at the boy. The day before she had accompanied Tsunami to the village to buy some ingredients for the day's dinner, and what she saw at the village shocked and disgusted her: famine, poverty, starvation, slavery, subjugation; that was the life of the people of Wave, and when she came back and told the rest of them about it, there were varied reactions.

Kakashi simply closed his lone eye and leaned back on his chair, deep in thought as he was reminded of the last war.

Sasuke remained silent while inwardly he took pity on the inhabitants of this land, and his respect for the bridge builder rose a little as the man showed integrity when he chose to fight rather than flee.

Naruko had a sad look in her eyes although her face betrayed nothing, trying her hardest to not cry in front of everyone. Naruto just opted to place his hand on her shoulder to comfort her as best as he could, giving her a comforting squeeze.

And now, looking at the distraught boy in front of them, Team Seven couldn't help but feel pity.

"Hey now Inari, don't say that. They're all super strong ninjas that protected me!" Tazuna said in an attempt to cheer hiss grandson up.

Inari shook his head and he shot a dirty look at the shinobi, especially Naruto whose face remained impassive. "No matter how strong they think they are, they are going to lose! Gatō will easily kill them all, so what's the point in the end?!" Everyone looked at the boy with varying degrees of pity, frustration, sadness and oddly enough, understanding, "How can you still be so happy and calm when you know you're all going to die?! Don't try to be a hero, because heroes don't exist and wannabes always die in the end!"

Tsunami gasped at Inari's outburst as she spoke, "Inari!"

Sakura was about to open her mouth to reply when Naruto's calm voice echoed throughout the room.

"Do you truly believe that, Inari-kun?" said boy turned to glare the blonde boy, eyes shining with angry tears. "Did you believe everything that you just said? If so, you're spitting on your grandfather's efforts in trying to do to save this country and your future. If you truly believe that, then you are as good as dead because you had already given up all hope; a coward's way out if you ask me." The room became deathly quiet when Naruto began his speech, and Naruko recognized his tone as one of his lecturing tones.

His greatest weapon: his words. Naruto had told her she had the same talent, but Naruko was skeptical at first. But when her brother had showed her the effects of her words had instilled in Konoha's villagers, she was quite literally stunned speechless. If anything, he had told her that she was even _more_ talented than he was, and looked forward to the times when they would have to resort to diplomacy and words to settle things – a complete one eighty from Naruto's personality when he was younger, who preferred using his fists rather than his words. [1]

Inari sniffed as he glared angrily at Naruto, his small hands clenched in fists. "What do you know about hardship?! You can't just prance in here and say everything is all right when you live in that big village of yours! You don't know what it's like to be living a hard life!"

As soon as the young boy said that, Naruto and Naruko stiffened almost simultaneously, which everyone around the table instantly noticed. Naruto's hair was shadowing his eyes while Naruko looked away, hugging herself as she tried to stem the flood of bad memories from overtaking her mind, both of hers and of her brother's. The rest of the people around the table were lost about what was going on but even they knew that the atmosphere had changed drastically. Kakashi meanwhile wore an understanding expression as he waited for the Uzumaki sibling's next actions.

Inari immediately knew that he had hit a nerve in the blonde haired boy and girl, so he wisely shut himself up. Without a word, Naruto wrapped an arm around his sister's shoulder and pulled her close, giving her comfort as he spoke.

"A hard life you say?" Inari looked up to see Naruto's cerulean eyes burning in indignation, "You don't know the first thing about a hard life. You still have your family: your mother and grandfather. And judging by that torn picture, you recently lost someone close to you."

Everyone turned their heads to look at where Naruto was gesturing and they saw a torn picture of someone who used to be there in the portrait.

They turned back to look at the Uzumaki siblings, where Naruto was still speaking while holding onto a shaking Naruko, "I know that you're angry at Gatō for ruining your life, but don't you think that you're spitting on your precious person's memory by being a whining crybaby like you? They would be ashamed, I assure you."

Inari recoiled in shocked horror as indignation rose within his belly, but he was prevented from speaking as Naruto continued,

"Everyone around you is doing something to help the people of this country. Do you think you're the only one who is hurting? Look at your mom, and your grandpa; they are worried _sick_ about you since you've become so reclusive and gloomy all the time! And you're not helping them by being a whining, spoiled brat!"

Inari's eyes burned with tears as he furiously tried to wipe them away while everyone was stunned into silence by Naruto's harsh words. The young boy was about to run back to his room when the blonde's voice stopped him cold,

"If you run from the table right now, consider yourself a coward for the rest of your life."

Sakura looked shocked as she cried, "Naruto! That was mean!" she was about to speak further when a hand on her shoulder from Kakashi forced her to reluctantly back down.

Inari stayed rooted to his spot, shoulders shaking in anger as tears fell from his eyes and hitting the floor. He was angry, angry at the blonde's attitude towards him. Angry at his stepfather for abandoning him by being killed by Gatō, but most of all, he hated himself . . .

"I know you are hurting Inari-kun, but you have to count your blessings when you got them." Naruto spoke as his voice softened. "You still have your family, which was more than me and Naruko-chan had when we were born. I lost my parents while Naruko-chan never knew hers." Horrified gasps were heard around while Inari stayed rooted to his spot, entranced by the story. "It was through sheer willpower and the guts to never give up that I managed to get the best thing that has ever happened in my life." Naruto said.

He smiled down at the girl in his arms, making her do the same as she nodded.

"Meeting my little cousin, the only family I have left."

Naruto turned to look at Inari who stood looking at them with a wide eyed expression. "That's what I'm asking of you Inari-kun. Be grateful for what you currently have, as they will not be with you forever. Cherish every moment that you share with your loved ones, because today may be your last. Live everyday like it's your last day on this earth, and you'll find true happiness." He finished with a bright grin.

Naruto stood, pulling Naruko along with him as they both headed to the door. Naruko, who was quiet throughout Naruto's speech, spoke up for the first time as she shot Inari a warm smile. "Think about what Onii-chan said, Inari-kun. He may be a knucklehead at times, but when it comes to words . . ." she looked up at his cheeky expression and chuckled, "He's a natural with them."

She turned towards Kakashi, "Sensei, we're going to go get some additional training at that clearing you found us in. We'll meet up tomorrow for breakfast!" And with that, the Uzumaki siblings disappeared in a swirl of leaves courtesy of Naruto, leaving an enraptured audience in their wake.

Inari shook his head slightly as he trudged his way towards his room, deep in thought about what he two blondes had said to him. Tazuna and Tsunami looked on sadly as the young boy headed off. The rest of the occupants decided that it was time to turn in for the night and prepare for another day of hard training.

One thing was certain on everyone's minds — they had to win, for this country's sake.

* * *

"Hey . . ." a distantly familiar voice called out, making Naruto stir in his sleep when the owner of the voice started to shake him, "Wake up, you'll catch a cold if you stay here."

Naruto fought against the lethargy of his stubborn eyelids, his body refusing to move from its comfortably spot and the warmth beside it. But he had to, a voice at the back of his head told him, he _needed _to —

He opened his eyes. Cerulean eyes met chocolate ones as Naruto stared into the familiar eyes of Haku, kneeling over him with a worried gaze. He idly wondered where he was when last night's events rushed back into his mind in an instant. Turning his head slightly, he was met with a mop of golden hair that belonged to his sister.

Smiling slightly as he pulled himself up, remembering to give Haku a grateful smile, Naruto carefully untangled himself from Naruko's hug as he sat up to greet the new arrival.

"Good morning, Onee-san." He greeted almost reflexively, mentally praying that this Haku was a girl, _not_ a boy.

Haku smiled radiantly, her long dark hair falling like a curtain around her face. That's it, Naruto told himself, there was _no way _in Hell that the person in front of him was in _any_ way a boy like she had said during his time – most girls would kill for Haku's looks alone.

He suppressed an involuntary shiver at the thought, but his mind absently noted that while Haku was pretty, she was nowhere near Naruko's level of beauty.

"Good morning to you as well, shinobi-san." She greeted with an incline of her head. "Why are you sleeping out here so early in the morning? In the middle of a forest clearing at that?"

Naruto had the decency to look sheepish. "Training, Onee-san." He said, "We're protecting our client from a rogue missing-nin – a powerful one at that – and we need to be ready for anything."

A lie, a bold one at that, but a lie all the same. Naruto had no doubt that he could take both her and Zabuza out if he went all out, but for the sake of appearances he needed to keep the image of an above average Genin whilst maintaining a lock on his more destructive abilities.

Only time will tell.

"Oh, that makes sense, judging by the destruction around here." Haku said, gesturing around her where multiple gaping craters had been lying innocently where Naruko had practiced her jutsu last night. "The training must be intense then, if it can do something like _this_."

She turned back to smile at Naruto. "My name's Haku by the way, nice to meet you shinobi-san." She offered her hand.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he said as he took her hand, shaking it firmly, "Genin of Konoha, likewise."

Haku smiled, then her gaze shifted to the sleeping form beside him, her eyes asking the unspoken question.

"Uzumaki Naruko, my sister." He supplied succinctly, "She's the one who blew open those craters last night. I'm just here to watch over her."

As if her name had been the trigger for her, said girl stirred in her sleep before she slowly sat up and stretched, letting out a jaw-breaking yawn as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Amazingly, her hair remained as silky and smooth as it did last night, and Naruto couldn't help but wonder if she had used some sort of jutsu to keep her hair from getting disheveled.

Naruko finally took notice of the new arrival talking to her brother, making her wake up almost instantly.

"Good morning Onii-chan, who's this?" she asked.

An innocent enough question, but Naruto wasn't a good reader of people for nothing. The slight tensing of her shoulders, slight twitch of her eye brows and fingers – barely noticeable to a normal person, but Naruto was anything but normal – she was on alert, ready to react if Haku turned out to be a threat.

"Oh, Naruko-chan meet Haku-san. Haku-san, my sister Naruko-chan." He said, gesturing back and forth between the two girls. "Haku-san was out here gathering herbs when she saw us and woke me up to keep us from the cold."

Haku looked at him with a surprised visage. "How do you know I was gathering herbs?"

_I'm from the future,_ he mentally said but not saying it out loud, as he opted for, "I saw your basket behind you filled with herbs, that's why I knew."

Haku nodded. A comfortable silence ensued after that with none of the three saying anything as Haku continued to gather her herbs. It may have looked like that, but unknown to Haku, the Uzumakis were having their own private conversation.

_– __It's her isn't it? –_ Naruko asked through their bond, _–_ _The fake hunter-nin? –_

She felt her brother mentally nodding. _–_ _Right on the dot, Naruko-chan. That's her alright, the last Hyōton (Ice release) user in the world. –_

_– __Hyōton? – _She retorted, and Naruto could feel her awe and excitement flood through their bond _–The ones that can control ice as their main element? –_

_– __The one and the same. – _He paused for moment before replying. _– You know come to think of it, she was the one who inspired me to make my nindō and my ideals. –_

Naruko gave the mental equivalent of a start, _–_ _Really? –_

_– __Yeah. – _He concurred, _– You'll see why, in right about . . . now. –_

"Naruto-san, Naruko-san." Haku spoke up, drawing the two blondes' attention, "Why do you fight?"

Naruto's lips curved a little upwards as Naruko understood what her brother had meant.

"Is it for fame, glory or monetary gain?" the older girl continued, "Or is it that you fight . . . for someone precious that you hold close to your heart?"

Naruko suppressed a gasp when she connected the girl's words with her brother's ideals – to protect his precious people. She finally understood where he had gotten his unwavering desire to strive for his ideal of protecting the ones close to him, even if it meant killing him. She turned to look at Naruto, who in turn closed his eyes with a calm smile, leaving her to listen to Haku's next words.

"I believe that a person becomes truly strong when they are fighting for the people they cherish and hold close to their hearts." Haku said, "When one fights for their precious people, they can do things that they never could've imagined, cross boundaries or surpass their limits to become stronger for their precious people. If one fights for their precious people, they can achieve incredible things."

Naruko smiled as she spoke, "I can understand that Haku-san, I really do. And you're absolutely right." She looked at Naruto with a warm smile, "When you fight for the people you love and cherish, you will become truly strong. This bodes true for me as I've become stronger in my efforts to protect my brother, as he protects me. I want to become strong, so that I can stand side by side with him, as his equal and partner, and tell myself that it's my turn to protect him now."

"Yes . . . that is truly a remarkable goal that you've set for yourself." Haku praised as Naruto looked on with a warm smile, deeply moved by Naruko's heartfelt words. "You will become strong indeed."

He had been an idiot. Too long had he been alone that he had forgotten to put his trust into his sister. To trust her to walk his dangerous path with him, side by side, as his equal and partner. Naruto mentally chided himself once more. The more he relied on himself, the more mistakes that he will eventually made along the road and create an even disastrous future than the one he had left.

Her words had woken him up. He will never make that mistake again.

"Well, I have to get going," Haku announced. She stood and dusted her pink kimono before picking up her basket. "It has been nice knowing you, Naruto-san, Naruko-san. I hope we will meet again someday. Oh, by the way — I'm a boy."

Naruko spluttered as she yelled indignantly, "I call bull on that!"

Haku only laughed in response while Naruto just palmed his face. He was already feeling another migraine coming along and it was not going away anytime soon.

And with that, she walked off through the path she had come, leaving the two Uzumakis alone. After a moment of silence, Naruto sighed as he ran his hands through his hair and across his face. He took a whiff of his clothes and grimaced. He _really_ needed a shower after last night's excursion.

"Come on Naruko-chan." Naruto called. "Let's get breakfast and a quick shower in while we're at it. I already left a note in her basket saying that we knew who she was the moment we saw her, and the next time we meet will be on the battlefield."

Naruko sighed as she gave him a wry grin. "Huh, that's funny. Because I slipped my own note in her kimono before she got too far from me." She giggled. "Seems we both like to mess with our enemies."

Naruto laughed. "Well, what can I say? Great minds think alike, and we're two of a kind."

Naruko snorted.

"Seeing as we're the same person but with different genders."

"Now, when you put it _that_ way, it sounds creepy and weird." Naruto deadpanned, before he smirked. "And who are you to talk —"

Naruto leaned closer to her ear. "— narcissist." he whispered teasingly, earning a massive blush from the girl as she smacked him.

He laughed as he defended himself form her onslaught. Soon her assault ended, she pouted and grumbled something about handsome twins from another dimension and his teasing. Naruto continued to laugh as they made their way back to Tazuna's home, preparing for another day of intense training. He had to admit – he too was a narcissist. He couldn't help but see the utter absurdity of it all.

Of all the people he had to have an infatuation for, it had to be his gender bended self from another reality.

He really was unpredictable, was he?

* * *

**And we are done people! Phew! Better give myself a pat on the back for the ****_longest_**** chapter that I have ****_ever_**** written on this story. Over 10k words, give or take. (Excluding this author's note: they don't count.) **

**[1] Well it's true! If I remember right, Naruto is a kinesthetic learner, who learns by doing and demonstrations rather than theory and boring lectures. He always would dive headfirst into the fight, negotiating with his fists first and his words in between or after he beats the people he wanted to help to a bloody pulp. **

**Take Obito and Neji for example — they ****_are _****slightly out of their minds when they had fought Naruto, but who knows. *chuckles***

**Anyways, I have been watching a new anime recently — well, technically it's an ****_old_**** one but it's still new to me. Let me tell you, Fate/stay night, the Fate route and the UBW route were ****_awesome! _****God! I love the fights and the animations and the real in depth character development and the Nasuverse in general. TYPE-MOON really outdid themselves when Nasu decided to unravel F/SN.**

**Anyhow, enough with me rambling about F/SN. Say . . . maybe I'll write my ****_own_**** story of F/SN in the near future. Who knows? I'm already a HUGE fan of ****_James D. Fawkes_****, an author on this site. Check out his stories of F/SN listed below. Tell me what you think on my idea of writing a new story on F/SN.**

Fate Revenant Sword — A time travel fic where Shirō was sent back to the beginning of the Grail Wars by the corrupted Grail and was forced to fight through it once more, all the while trying to change things for the better. Avalon Shipping pairing (Shirō X Saber)

Miracle of Zero: Kingdom of the Forsaken — crossover between F/SN and Familiar of Zero, where we see FRS True Ending Shirō gets summoned by our favorite tsun-tsun Louise in an all-out battle royale between Heroic Spirit Void Familiars! Shit is about to do down! Pairing still a secret but the author has dropped clues throughout the chapters, so keep an eye out! I already know . . . heh.

**Okay then, please leave a review and tell me what you felt about this fic. Good? Bad? Anything, just lay it on meh! My body is ready! Oh, and don't worry about the lack of romance, like kissing and intimacy, because it's still early in the story as some of you had already pointed out to me. Please stay with me, and be patient. **

**Oh, I am also looking for input on line breaking. Do you guys prefer the single lines of some form of artistic motifs? **

**Here's what I had in mind —**

**~ D ~ R ~**

**— ****0.O.0.O.0 — **

**(Credit goes to James D. Fawkes — Need to ask him for permission. :P)**

**What do you guys think? Should I change this or should I just stick with the single line breaks?**

**Be awesome guys!**

**Slightly lengthened Zabuza VS Team Seven fight.**

**This is HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE!**


	12. The Soothing of the Waves

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Twelve: The Soothing of the Waves**

* * *

_"__Naruto…" a painfully familiar voice said weakly, "I'm glad that I've met you."_

_All around them, it was pandemonium. Fires were raging in the distance, the land was scarred and barren – devoid of life, only leaving a desolate wasteland in its wake. The figure that had spoken was leaning bonelessly against his body, blood dripping from his mouth in a never-ending stream._

_"__No!" he gripped the figure's torn flak jacket tighter, ignoring the protruding steaks that had pierced the figure's back. "I won't let you die, Neji! You hear me?!"_

_Neji smiled weakly, his headband falling from his forehead, revealing the green sealing cross-like matrix of the Hyūga Caged Bird Seal. _

_The seal, that protects the Byakugan. _

_"__Death is something that everyone must face eventually," Neji said, coughing out blood. "My death is no different. It's everyone's final fate." _

_Naruto gritted his teeth, fat hot tears streaming down his face. One of his closest friends had just protected him from a fatal attack, and was dying right in his arms. He had vowed at the start of the war to protect everyone, but that had been for naught._

_Neji was dying, because he was careless._

_Neji was dying, because he wasn't strong enough._

_Neji was dying, because he was so Kami damned useless._

_He forced out a chuckle. A dry, humorless chuckle that radiated with his utter anguish and turmoil he was feeling at the moment._

_"__You always were stuck with that fate complex, even after I've kicked your sorry butt." Naruto said jokingly. Beside him, Hinata cried silently as she watched the last moments of her beloved cousin._

_"__Naruto…" Neji smiled his most brilliant smile yet, even when his pale eyes were fading rapidly. "I leave Hinata-sama… in your care." He rasped, "Please… take care of her."_

_A choked sob escaped him. Naruto hung his head, holding the elder Hyūga male close to him, as if to bring the other man comfort in his final moments. Steeling his wavering nerves, he managed a curt, but firm nod, solidifying his decision._

_"__I will."_

_"__Good…" _

_Neji coughed once more, his body becoming heavier and heavier by the minute. Naruto forced himself to not break down into sobs, as it was time for Neji to leave. To join his parents with Kami-sama above._

_"__Goodbye, Naruto, Hinata-sama… it has been an honor, fighting by your side." And with those parting words, his body fell limp, unmoving and starting to become cold._

_And thus, the life of one Hyūga Neji, Jōnin of Konoha, was ended._

Naruto awoke with a jolt as he sat upright, his breathing coming out and in pants and sweating profusely as the nightmare faded from his consciousness, finding himself sitting on his futon. Taking deep breaths to calm down his heartbeat, Naruto sighed as he ran his hand across his face and through his blonde locks.

It had been a long time since he had reminisced about the Fourth War, about the countless deaths of his comrades and friends. He supposed what with dealing with Konoha's Council, his duty as a shinobi, his plans for the future, and Naruko's constant presence, he had buried them to the deep recesses of his mind.

But they had resurrected, for some strange reason.

In all honesty, Naruto was surprised that it hadn't happened sooner. He had expected his past to haunt him in his dreams, but he didn't expect them to be resurfacing after so long — a month to be exact. All the regressed memories, all the sorrow and pain and hurt, all the people that he had promised to protect, their life snuffed out like that of a flickering ember. Naruto suddenly felt another flash of hatred at the one responsible, before he shook his head to clear his mind.

He had to let it go, a voice at the back of his head told him, for the past must stay in the past, and he must look forward to the future. He mentally snorted against his own thoughts — easier said than done, what with the emotional baggage he was currently hefting, it might take a while.

He was broken out of his thoughts when stray sunlight filtered through the curtained windows of his room, squinting as he brought his hands up to shield his eyes from the offending rays. Strange, he pondered idly, he was usually up before the sun was even in the sky but he had slept in today. So, why had he . . . ?

Ah.

Today was the day, wasn't it?

"Onii-chan!" his sister's familiar voice called out to him, said girl appeared by his side in an instant. "You're up!"

"Yeah, I'm up!" Naruto said. He hastily pushed himself up and out of the futon, grabbing his gear as he did. "Enough about me, where are the rest? But, more importantly, why aren't you with them?"

Today was the day, when Naruto's brain had warmed up and memories flashed through his mind in a rapid pace. Today was the day Team Seven fought against Zabuza and Haku for the final time — the final confrontation. If he didn't act fast enough Zabuza, or worse yet Haku were going to die.

He couldn't let that happen. He _refused _to let them die — at the very least, he needed to save Haku!

Naruko shook her head, frowning slightly. "I stayed behind to look after you and Tazuna's family, and before you ask, I volunteered." The look in her eyes clearly said that she won't back down from her decision, no matter what his opinions were on the matter. "I also remembered from your memories that two of Gatō's thugs will be here any minute to kidnap Tsunami-san!"

Naruto nodded, his lips thinned into a grim line. "Then let's welcome our uninvited guests, shall we?"

A few minutes later, the Uzumaki siblings had just descended the stairs and gotten to the living room. Tsunami was in the kitchen washing the morning's dishes when Naruko stiffened. Naruto didn't bother to ask her, for she had already sensed the two thugs a few hundred meters away from the house.

He turned to Tsunami.

"Tsunami-san, Gatō's thugs are coming to this house. Head upstairs and get into your room and lock the door until it is safe!" he called out.

The woman, having already frozen in fear when Naruto mentioned Gatō, nodded fearfully before grabbing Inari, who was in the living room, and headed up the stairs. Naruto nodded before he unsheathed his katana while Naruko pulled out a kunai, standing just beyond the door's threshold, waiting for the thugs' arrival.

"You ready?" Naruto asked, his katana held in a loose stance while he warmed up his chakra coils.

"You bet, Onii-chan." Naruko replied as she held up her kunai in a ready stance, form tensed and ready.

They needn't have to wait long, for the two thugs had arrived outside of Tazuna's home. From the sounds of it, they were expecting little to no resistance from Tazuna's family and were currently talking loudly through the door, allowing the duo inside to hear them clearly.

"I can't wait to get some _real_ blood on this blade, it's boring killing boars while we can cut up humans." One of the brutes said.

"Heh, you'll get your wish soon enough Warajii. But remember, we need the woman _alive_." The other said.

"Hmm… what about her brat? The short one with the hat? Can I cut him up?"

"I don't see why not, sure. We'll do it in front of his mother while she begs for us to stop skinning her son alive." The voice cackled.

"So, shall I knock Zōri?"

The other voice that belonged to Zōri laughed. "By all means! Give them a Warajii style visit."

Naruto saw out of the corner of his eyes that Naruko was clearly gritting her teeth in anger while her eyes narrowed to slits. No doubt the thug's casual mention of violence and murder had gotten under her skin, and was currently fueling her fury.

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he ran through some hand signs. The door was slashed open in a crude X-shape, before its entire frame was kicked down by an eyepatch wearing thug, with a beanie wearing one closely behind him. They didn't even have time to react when Naruto finished his last hand sign —

"**Fūton: Daitoppa! (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)**"

— and were both thrown back by sudden gust of wind that erupted from the blonde, and fell unceremoniously into the water behind the house.

Naruto kept his katana at his side as he advanced on the two thugs, who were just pulling themselves out of the chilling morning water, face set in a scowl that would make lesser men cower. Beside him, Naruko stood, brandishing her kunai ready to throw them at a moment's notice, face set in a furious glare. It doesn't take a genius to know that she was pissed.

Very pissed.

"Mah, mah…" Naruto said, "Didn't your parent's ever teach you to knock properly? So uncivilized…"

"You brat!" the beanie wearing man — Zōri, hissed.

"We'll teach you what it means to mess with Gatō and his business!" The eyepatch wearing man — Warajii, yelled before they both lunged at the two blondes, their weapons raised intending to cut their prey down where they stood.

Naruto sighed at the thugs' folly. He really wanted to end this standoff peacefully, but it seems that fate loved to mess with him, as with every other time he had wanted to solve things peacefully but always ended up resorting to violent situations. He wondered if Kami found amusement to his predicaments in life — oh, who was he kidding, the main reason he was here in the first place is because of _her_ intervention after all.

He was eternally grateful to her, but Naruto could tell she was a prankster at heart — like him. Thank goodness she wasn't made the Shinigami, or the world wouldn't survive against a pranking God of Death —

Wait a minute, he was getting side tracked. Curse his mind for wondering too far into nonsensicality.

"Naruko-chan, take the short one!" Naruto ordered, "I'll take his one-eyed friend!"

"On it!" Naruko said as she charged forward, with Naruto doing the same towards his opponent.

She ducked under the shorter of the two thug's swing, parrying his blade to one side. Moving fast, Naruko appeared behind the man before burying her kunai into back of one of the man's legs, making him yell out in pain. Pulling it out, she proceeded to stab the other one, making him fall on his knees. Kicking the man's katana out of his reach, she held her kunai to his throat. It was no challenge nor was it any contest. The man stood no chance against a fully-fledged shinobi.

And the man broke almost immediately.

"Please don't kill me!" he screamed pathetically. Ignoring the fact that he was beaten by a young girl, but the dreadful possibility of actually dying by her hands made him scream for mercy, no matter how cowardly it seemed. "I'll tell you anything you want, I swear!"

He wasn't paid enough to die like this, damn it!

While Naruko had been busy dealing with her opponent, Naruto wasn't idle either as he took care of his opponent as easily as Naruko's had been. It was pitifully one-sided, as one would expect from a bout between the two fighters. The thug stood no chance.

A light parry, a smack to the gut with the flat side of his blade and a hit to the back of the man's head with the hilt of Naruto's sword ended the fight. Sheathing his sword, Naruto regarded the only conscious member of the thugs with a steely gaze.

"Tell us what Gatō is planning." Naruto demanded.

The thug — Zōri, seemed to hesitate before Naruko's reminder of her kunai blade at his throat reminded him of his position, forcing him to yield.

"He sent us here to kidnap the bridge builder's daughter for ransom." He said.

"Where is he?" Naruto prodded further, intensifying his gaze.

"He's with about a hundred mercenaries, waiting at the bridge. He wants to make sure that the old man doesn't leave the bridge alive."

"And the ninjas he had hired — the Demon of Kiri and his assistant?" Naruto asked, "What will happen to them if they succeed?"

Zōri gulped.

"Gatō's planning to kill them when they had exhausted themselves fighting you guys so he won't have to pay them. He wants to kill that Zabuza fellow while he keeps that Haku girl for himself." He said fearfully, watching the two blondes face's morphed into expressions of disgust and anger. "That's all I know, I swear!"

Naruto sighed before knocking the man out with a chop to his neck. It was the same the first time around too, it seemed. A despicable man using despicable means to achieve despicable goals. It was just as nauseating as it was the last time. But this time it was worse — Gatō was planning to turn Haku – who thankfully this time was a girl – into his personal slave.

A glance at Naruko told him that she thought the same thing. They were one of the same, after all. Even without their bond, they could understand one another as easily as the back of their hand, blood siblings or otherwise.

Tying the two thugs up with shinobi wire with his sister's help, Naruto turned to address Tsunami who was holding on to Inari who had appeared at the destroyed door.

"Leave these two for the villagers to handle. My comrades at the bridge are in trouble, so in the meantime stay in your home Tsunami-san." He said, "Please stay safe, and that goes for you too Inari!"

And with that, he turned and leapt away towards the direction of the bridge, leaving Tsunami, Inari and Naruko behind who had stayed behind. Turning her attention towards the boy, she knelt in front of him, putting her hands on his shoulders, making him look up at her.

Naruko smiled at him.

"You know what to do, right Inari-kun?" she asked knowingly. Inari slowly nodded to her words, making her smile brighter. "Then good luck, we're counting on you Inari-kun!"

With those parting words, she too leapt away towards the bridge. Inari nodded to himself before she turned to his mother, eyes determined and unwavering. He had already made his decision the moment the two blondes had taken down the thugs. He would make his family proud.

"Okaa-san? I think you should be with the neighbors for now." Inari said, surprising the young mother before the boy tore back into the kitchen to retrieve a kitchen bowl of all things and ran straight to the village.

_'__I won't let you down — Naruto-nii-san, Naruko-nee-san!' _

**~ D ~ R ~**

Catching up quickly to her brother, the two of them arrived at the bridge just in time to see Kakashi fighting with Zabuza and Sasuke being encased in Haku's strongest technique. Sakura, who was standing a ways from the fighting and was guarding Tazuna with a determined look on her face, was the first to notice them before she quickly waved them over.

"Thank Kami you guys came!" she cried, "Kakashi-sensei is fighting against Zabuza while Sasuke-kun is fighting that hunter-nin alone! I want to help but I'm not strong enough." She trailed off at the end.

Naruko smiled at her and patted her shoulder in comfort.

"Don't worry about it _— _you're doing great Sakura-chan." She said, "Just leave the rest to us alright?"

Sakura could only nod weakly.

Turning her attention to Naruto, who was keenly watching the fight between Zabuza and their sensei with sharp eyes, Naruko couldn't help but feel slightly nervous. Here she was now, after nearly a week of non-stop training, she was entrusted by her beloved brother to take on Haku alone. She knew the ice user was fast, and her precision with her senbon needles was nothing to scoff at either. Maybe she could force the ice user to a more open fight, allowing Naruko to utilize her full arsenal, or —

A warm, calloused hand wrapped itself around her own. Naruko looked up to see Naruto smiling confidently and encouragingly at her, causing her nervousness from before to leave her. He had always had that effect on her, and she doubted anyone other than Naruto could make her feel this way.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and nodded once.

"You're going to do fine, Naruko-chan." Naruto said, "Release your weight seals before you do though. You'll need that extra boost."

Hearing that, Naruko grinned.

She had forgotten that she had been using weight seals to augment her physical training regime. She was nowhere near Naruto's level, but she was at least an order of magnitude above most Genin's speeds. And that was with them _on._ A few hand signs later, a feeling of weightlessness fell over her, signifying the release of her seals.

"Okay," she began, "Be careful Onii-chan."

"Hey, you know me." Naruto said cheekily, "When had you known me to be careful in any way?"

"I'm serious Onii-chan." Naruko said with a frown of concern.

"Right, you be careful too Naruko-chan." With that, Naruto tore off towards where the two men are fighting, while Naruko leapt towards the ice dome where Sasuke was trapped, a plan already forming in her mind.

Kakashi grunted in effort as he blocked the blow from Zabuza's preposterously large blade with his meagre kunai. The other man was swinging the huge sword like it was a mere _toy_, judging by the ease the man had been able to execute sword moves that normally were associated with smaller and thinner swords.

Truly one of the Seven Swordsman it seemed.

They had been fighting for over half an hour ever since arriving at the bridge to find all of Tazuna's workers bleeding, bruised and unconscious. Zabuza had showed himself then, with his assistant — the hunter-nin — in tow with a bunch of Mizu Bunshin (Water Clones). Kakashi had sent Sasuke to deal with the clones with ease, seeing as the boy's speed was exceptional for his age, and he had tasked Sakura in defending Tazuna from any attacks.

She may have improved, but she was still miserably outmatched by their opponents.

Still, he was confident in their chances to actually win this thing. The plan was for him to hold Zabuza off while Sasuke went off and fought against the assistant. Then, after the assistant had been dealt with, Kakashi would then go all out and eliminate Zabuza. It was a pretty straightforward plan. But, as the saying goes — no plan survives first contact with the enemy.

They had severely underestimated the assistant hunter-nin's abilities. And they were paying for it dearly.

Not only was she fast — faster than Zabuza even — she also possessed a nearly extinct bloodline that the Elemental Nations hadn't seen since the Bloodline Purges of the Mist.

Hyōton. The manipulation of ice and snow.

No, manipulation wasn't the right word — the _creation_ of ice and snow through the mixing of wind and water chakras. The feared bloodline of the extinct Yuki Clan of Kiri and one of the most versatile of bloodlines to exist if used in the right hands.

Haku more than qualified as being in the right hands.

After trapping Sasuke in her special dome of ice, Kakashi had only a split second to admire the beauty of the technique before being forced to dodge a blow that was aimed at his head, courtesy of Zabuza. He cursed at the deteriorating situation. If he didn't act soon, Sasuke would be overwhelmed and killed.

Let's not forget the fact that he was forced to face their opponent handicapped when he had decided to leave Naruko behind to look after Naruto, who was knocked out cold due to his own intense training.

"Don't bother helping your student Kakashi," Zabuza taunted, "No one can escape Haku's ice mirrors — not even me."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the other man's words, Sharingan blazing a furious red as he tried to find fault in his words.

To the silver-head's dismay, he found none.

"I see that you don't believe me?" Zabuza said with a laugh, clashing blades with Kakashi once more. "Haku is faster and stronger than anyone I know. Your student doesn't stand a chance in hell."

"Mah, mah, don't count Sasuke out just yet." Kakashi chided, pushing against Kubikiribōchō with his kunai. "He's not the 'Rookie of Year' for nothing you know. He may surprise you in one way or another."

Before Zabuza had a chance to reply, the Kiri-nin's eyes widened before he pushed himself away from Kakashi and leaped back. Not a moment later, Naruto appeared, his sword buried in the ground where Zabuza had stood.

Pulling his blade out of the ground, Naruto turned towards Zabuza.

"Hey now," he began, "You're not planning to start the party without me right?"

Zabuza had only a moment to register what the blonde boy had said before he forced to block a slash aimed at his head. Narrowing his eyes at the smirking blonde, Zabuza pulled away and jumped backwards, creating some distance between the two.

He growled.

"Heh, you've got some nerve brat." Zabuza said, hefting his sword in a ready stance. "I thought you had chickened out because you're not here with the scarecrow. I look forward to continuing our duel from before."

"So am I." Naruto said in kind, holding his blade loosely in his right hand in an unfamiliar stance. "Are you ready, Zabuza? This fight will settle everything between us swordsmen, once and for all!"

"Naruto." Kakashi called as he landed beside his charge, "Are you sure this is a good idea? I know you're strong and could probably defeat Zabuza if you wanted to, but he _is_ still an A-rank missing-nin. He's ranked that highly for a reason."

"I know." The blonde replied, "That is why I can't let him get past this point and get to Tazuna-san, and there's also several reasons for my choice to fight him."

He leveled his blade at Zabuza, blue eyes hard and determined.

"As a fellow swordsman, I will not tarnish another's pride by refusing to duel with him. If his wish is to fight me, I will honor his challenge." Naruto said, "My pride as a swordsman is on the line."

"Well said, boy." Zabuza said, impressed. "Seems even you know what's a swordsman's pride, and how sacred it is to us. Honor me with this duel, Mr —?"

"Uzumaki." Naruto offered as he raised his blade. "Uzumaki Naruto."

"Well then Uzumaki," Zabuza lifted his blade and charged. "Then let's go!"

And Naruto did not disappoint, as he met the man's charge with a wordless warcry, clashing their blades in a flurry of movement and ringing metal. Every swing, every slash, every thrust was aimed to maim, skewer and cut the other in a lethal dance of steel. Neither gave ground, neither retreated, each blow intending to do the other harm.

It was both beautiful and deadly in their execution.

Naruto grimaced as he blocked a slash that was aimed at his midsection, lashing out with a kick at the man's shins to keep him off balanced. Zabuza saw this and cursed and was forced to give ground, leaping backwards and away, Naruto in hot pursuit, katana in hand in an overhead slash. He raised his huge sword to block.

Naruto saw this.

Reinforcing the muscles in his arms with chakra whilst strengthening the core components of his katana with earth chakra, Naruto brought his blade down in an arc of gray before slamming into the bigger blade with everything he had. The force of his blow forced Zabuza's arms and legs to buckle underneath it, cracking the ground underneath him as a tremendous shockwave erupted from the point of contact, further cratering the ground beneath the man.

Deciding to push things further, Naruto let out a roar, pouring his chakra into his blade and arms, allowing the momentum of his attack to carry through. The force of his single blow — the combination of gravity, momentum, and the burst of chakra — increased tenfold.

Zabuza never saw it coming.

One moment, he was struggling against Naruto's blade. The next, his limbs gave out underneath the strength, before he was propelled with immense force away from the blonde, slamming into a tree and toppling it and slamming into the tree behind it, and the one behind that before finally stopping at the fourth, leaving a huge indent on the bark as a result.

Naruto stood calmly while brushing his clothes, blade held in a loose ready stance, staring at the place where he had sent away the Demon of the Mist.

Kakashi meanwhile was dumbstruck.

_'__He just sent an A-rank missing-nin flying with just the sheer force of his blows.' _he thought in amazement,_ 'Utilizing momentum, gravity and a burst of earth chakra… even Tsunade-sama would have a hard time stopping Naruto's attack, and she's the strongest woman alive.'_

Looks like his intervention was superfluous until absolutely necessary, it seemed.

Zabuza stumbled out of the path he had created, face split in a manic grin as blood dripped from his bandaged mouth. Naruto held his gaze as he settled into his usual stance, body tensed and ready. The man had been through worse, judging by the torn bandages, milk-patterned trousers and bleeding arms and legs.

"Impressive!" Zabuza praised as he laughed gleefully, "You actually forced me back, with your own strength no less! Heh, I thought only Kisame could do that to me. You boy, are the second person to actually send me flying while in kenjutsu combat!"

The man let his blood drip onto Kubikiribōchō — and to everyone's amazement, including Naruto's — the blade actually repaired itself from the damage it had sustained from Naruto's final blow. That was the special quality of this blade — it absorbs the iron in the blood to repair itself.

A truly vicious blade, fit for a bloodthirsty man.

The man held his blade up in his usual stance, the smirk behind his bloodied bandaged mask was frighteningly feral.

"Now," Zabuza said, "It's time I get even more serious than last time."

With that he charged forward, Naruto meeting him halfway parrying his heavier blows.

Naruto grunted as he parried another strike at his heart, planting his foot on the ground so that he could balance himself to bring his katana up to block at slash aimed at his neck, and the one at his groin, his knee, his liver — the strikes were coming faster than before, and the mist wasn't helping either as Zabuza kept disappearing into it, reappearing seconds later aiming at another one of his exposed areas.

Then, the unexpected happened.

As he brought his blade down to parry another strike, Naruto wasn't prepared in the slightest when Zabuza slightly angled his huge cleaver in an odd angle, before bringing it up in a vicious swipe that his katana should've easily blocked — _should've _being the key word.

Only that it didn't, as the blade shattered at the hilt, right before his eyes that he was sure was filled with dumbfounded surprise.

Naruto was shocked that it had ever been possible — there was a chance, but it was slim at best, that his katana would be shattered. He had expected it, but not this easy!

_'__Just what was Kubikiribōchō made of?!'_ Naruto thought in frustration as he sealed his broken sword in one of the storage seals on his wrist.

"I see that you're shocked that your sword had shattered against mine, no matter how illogical it seemed, right?" Zabuza said, chuckling as he turned to regard the young boy who had more than given him a good fight. "I've fought my fair share of katanas from Tetsu no Kuni — masterful works all of them, but despite their perfection there was always a similar fault in every one of them —"

Zabuza held up his sword, showing the slight incision where his sword had made contact with Naruto's katana. Already the man's blood was fixing the damage.

"— at a certain angle, when you use just enough chakra to force its composition to break just a little, a sharp and strong blow would suffice to completely shatter it at the hilt — that's the _only _weakness of those troublesome blades." Zabuza explained his reasoning with what seemed like an annoyed undertone mixed in reverence for the master craftsmen of the Land of Samurai.

Naruto shook his head in amazement, drawing two kunai as he settled into what seemed like a defensive stance.

"As expected from one of the Seven," Naruto began, "Looks like I'll have to get serious as well — or I might just get killed."

"Agreed, let's go, boy!" Zabuza yelled.

He charged forward with renewed speed, Naruto meeting him with a charge of his own, kunais raised.

Punching, kicking, whirling, dodging, stabbing — Naruto pulled out all the stops with his taijutsu to compensate for Zabuza's superior reach and wider area of attack. A single mistake — one miscalculated step, if only for a millisecond, could cost him his life if he wasn't careful. He was clearly at a disadvantage, and even an Academy Student could see that.

But Naruto wouldn't be Naruto if he didn't have more tricks up his sleeves. He had always fought opponents stronger and faster than himself, so he always compensated with superior on-the-fly tactics, deception and devastating finishers, usually his arsenal of S-rank ninjutsu. The last option was out, seeing as he was still _technically_ a Genin — Kami knows the flak he would receive if he used them — so that left the first two options.

Yeah, he could work with those.

"**Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!**"

Zabuza's voice rang out throughout the mist, a water dragon came at him from out of nowhere, barreling down at him, its glowing yellow eyes gleaming in the eerie mist.

Naruto's lips formed into a grim line, hands holding his favorite hand sign. "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**"

Five shadow clones burst into existence as they leapt away from the original, who held his arms in a cross guard in front of him, focusing his chakra as the water dragon barreled down at him with incredible speeds.

Naruto unwound his arms outwards, yelling. "**Fūton: Kazekiri no Jutsu!**"

A cross shaped invisible blade of wind erupted from the boy, destroying the water dragon just a scant few meters from him. Naruto was about to charge through the mist of water the water dragon had created —

— only to run in to Zabuza who proceeded to run him through with his blade, eyes wide in sick delight, enjoying the look of shock on the boy's face.

"Checkmate, boy." Zabuza said with a manic grin. This was the most fun he had ever had in the past few years. A pity the boy was going to die — he really wanted to take him on as an apprentice.

"Naruto!" Kakashi yelled in concern.

He was about to charge in when several of Zabuza's water clones pounced on him, forcing him to go on the defensive. The clones may have only a sixth of the original's strength, they were still dangerous if used properly.

Kakashi cursed, praying that Naruto could hold out for just a little longer.

Naruto coughed out blood, hands painfully gripping the massive blade that was stuck in his chest. He had miscalculated — a failure on his part, and he was paying for it painfully as he tried to pry the massive blade from him, only to agitate his wound further, forcing him to stop.

"I've got to hand it to you, Uzumaki." Zabuza said, his tone held a tinge of respect in them. "You gave me more of a challenge than your sensei there, be honored. Remember that as you die."

Naruto grunted as he glared menacingly at the man, who found his struggling to be entertaining. Only the most defiant of prey would fight until the very end. Then, something unexpected happened.

A familiar whirling, vortex-like noise filled everyone's senses, making Naruto smile despite the excruciating pain.

He recognized _that_ sound _anywhere_. After all, it was his primary offensive ninjutsu for the better part of his shinobi career and one of his signature moves.

Zabuza also heard the noise. Judging by the widening of his eyes, he too had also recognized it. Every ninja worth their headband would recognize the technique created by the greatest shinobi of the recent generation.

Kakashi's eyes were also wide in shock. He had not heard that sound for almost thirteen years. He looked back from his blade lock with one of Zabuza's clones to see the source of the sound, making his eyes widen in disbelief.

_'__It can't be!'_

Naruko was running towards the ice dome, right hand reared back with a glowing orb of pure energy swirling rapidly in her palm. Jumping just fifteen feet before the dome, Naruko's reared hand tensed before she thrusted it forward, yelling out her jutsu's name for all the world to hear.

"**Rasengan!**"

Her technique struck home. The moment the orb of energy made contact with one of Haku's mirrors, it held at first, but the sheer overwhelming force generated by the technique literally _grinded_ everything that it touched. A few seconds later, the mirror shattered due to the immense power of the technique, and the explosion of chakra actually created a shockwave that shattered a few more mirrors around the one Naruko had destroyed, allowing her entry.

She leaped in, a few moments later leaped back out with Sasuke over her shoulder, his body riddled with senbon and was unconscious. Quickly bringing him to Sakura, who made a horrified sound when she set Sasuke down, Naruko quickly told her that he was fine and only in a death-like state like the one Zabuza was in, and promptly leaped back towards where Haku was, hands already crossed in her favorite hand sign.

Zabuza narrowed his eyes as he turned back to look at Naruto, who was still skewered on his blade. "Did that girl use what I think it was?"

Naruto only kept silent, cerulean eyes betraying nothing. He supposed he could say something, but having a six foot long blade stuck in his chest typically warranted him to not speak if necessary, Jinchuriki or otherwise.

Not even _he _was sociable when someone stuck a sword in his chest.

"Being silent, huh? Figures." Zabuza said, "I'll just find out from her instead seeing as her brother won't cooperate. Don't worry, I won't hurt her — much."

Naruto growled in anger.

"D-Don't y-you dare touch her." Naruto ground out through the pain, "Y-Your fight is with me!"

"With you?" Zabuza questioned, "You're in no position to demand that, brat. Besides, it's only a matter of time before you die anyways."

Zabuza was expecting a lot of things, from cursing his name to insults thrown at him like a brat should, but he wasn't expecting Naruto to chuckle. Zabuza narrowed his eyes at him, body tensing for action.

"What's so funny brat?"

"You know," Naruto began, gripping Zabuza's sword in his chest with surprising force. "That's one of the unique things about me — I'm too stubborn to die."

And then it happened. Zabuza wasn't prepared in the slightest when he felt five pairs of hands grab hold of him, holding him in place with surprising force. The man tried to move, but found that his limbs were unresponsive. His eyes widened when he recognized the seal tags on his person, slapped on by Naruto's clones.

_'__Paralysis Seals?!'_ he thought frantically. It was totally unheard of for a paralysis seals to be this portable and small. Who was this kid?!

Naruto took this moment to dislodge Kubikiribōchō from his chest, leaving a bloody, gaping hole that went through from his chest to his back. Before Zabuza's very shocked eyes, the muscles, tendons and bones seem to mend themselves together at an incredible speed. It was… disturbing to see it up close, but it was fascinating as well.

Who knew the boy would have this kind of healing factor up his sleeves.

Then another event happened, one that nearly floored the seasoned shinobi on the battlefield — them being Zabuza and Kakashi.

A feeling so overwhelming, so potent and oppressing that it actually weighed him down, even with the seals on his limbs in effect. Zabuza looked over at where the ice dome was, eyes widened in horror at the swirling auburn chakra that emanated from… the blonde girl that used the Yellow Flash's technique! Haku stood no chance against something so powerful!

Kakashi was also in the same boat, but for different reasons entirely. He was worried at Naruko's usage of Kyūbi's chakra, which was said to be malicious and dangerous to normal humans. And his orders were, before he left ANBU service — in the event when Naruko ever went out of control, he would kill her to protect the village when the resident seal master was absent.

Kakashi briefly wondered how it had come down to this…

Naruto however had a barely noticeable smile on his lips, already knowing his sister would break _that_ out if Haku proved too strong for her. In reality, Haku was actually at high-chūnin level give or take, and while Naruko was strong — at mid-chūnin level at least — she would still be hard pressed to defeat Haku conventionally.

"You were overconfident, Zabuza-san." Naruto chided, ignoring the looks of stunned disbelief from the two men as he slowly backed away from the paralyzed man, "I told you before during our first clash remember? — _'Do not think me an incompetent brat that you can so easily kill and swat away.'_ — and for your information, I'm anything _but_ incompetent."

Naruto held up the seal of confrontation just as Kakashi ran up beside him, uttering a single jutsu with a smirk.

"**Bunshin Daibakuha. (Clone Great Explosion)**"

That was all he wrote, just as another earth shattering explosion sounded at where the girls were fighting.

As one, all of Naruto's clones holding Zabuza in place lit up a brilliant white light, before promptly exploding in a sudden flash of heat and fire. The spot where Zabuza once stood trembled and shook from the shockwave created from five exploding clones, each the equivalent of a Level Eight paper bomb. Most shinobi would've died instantly from the blast.

But Zabuza wasn't made an A-rank missing-nin for naught.

As the smoke and dust cleared, there stood Zabuza, supporting his weight on a cracked Kubikiribōchō. He was bloody all over — his arms, legs, face and chest — and he was scorched in multiple places, some looked like second to third degree burns on his skin. It was a wonder that he kept on standing.

Zabuza's breath came out in pants and gasps, finally falling onto his knees after they gave out on him. He raised his gaze to look at Naruto.

"Heh. To be beaten by something like that." He whispered hoarsely, wincing at the injuries, both internal and external. "I applaud you, Uzumaki Naruto. You have defeated me using the most basic of skills a shinobi is taught — deception. Congratulations."

"Now, finish it." Zabuza wheezed as he lowered his head, accepting his defeat.

Kakashi was about to oblige him when Naruto's hand stopped him, making him look back at the blonde.

"Wait sensei. He's helpless and beaten. It's my policy to not kill unarmed opponents." He said, making Kakashi nod slightly, albeit reluctantly.

Naruto stood there silently for moment, as if contemplating his decision before he spoke.

"You care for Haku, yes?" his sudden question sent a jolt of surprise through the man, judging by the man's sudden start. "I know you care for her as more than your assistant — and don't give me that bullshit about her only being your tool."

"If she is really your tool, then you would've accepted high class assassination missions while sending her in your stead. That's what tools are for, but you didn't. You not only didn't accept those kinds of missions, you chose supposedly easy missions such as this one so that you could keep an eye on her and help her if necessary. Am I right?"

Zabuza stared at the boy in shock. He had deduced that much out of their lives just by meeting them once or twice?

"If you truly feel that way, help her." Naruto implored. "Help make the world a better place to live, so that Haku could live in peace like you wanted. Return to Kiri — join the side of the rebels and fight back to liberate your homeland. I've read your history Zabuza — you hated the Yondaime Mizukage's policies, after his decent into madness. Right?"

Seeing Zabuza nod dumbly, Naruto smiled. "Then there you have it! Abandon this fool's errand and return to your homeland. Free it from the tyranny like what I and my comrades are currently doing. Abandon Gatō — better yet, kill the bastard, I don't care either way."

"So, what say you?" Naruto asked as he held out his hand for Zabuza to take.

He kneeled motionless for a few moments, before relenting, tearing off his bandaged mouth, revealing sharp, shark-like teeth grinning at the boy.

"Ah, what the hell — I accept." Zabuza said, "I've had enough of running anyways. Haku deserves a better life than this."

"Good man." Naruto grinned. "Keep your promise to Haku, and you'll find happiness. I know it."

Zabuza just nodded as Naruto started using a minor healing jutsu — he was no expert, but he'll manage — to heal his debilitating injuries. Kakashi meanwhile, stood at the sidelines, watching with proud and awed expressions when he witnessed the young Uzumaki convert the enemy into an ally. He couldn't help but see the Yondaime Hokage in Naruto's place when the blonde spoke with such passion in his words. Again, Naruto's uncanny resemblance to the late Hokage came onto the forefront of Kakashi's mind.

_'__It's like seeing sensei alive again.'_ He thought.

He didn't know how near yet so far he was from the truth.

**~ D ~ R ~**

_A few minutes earlier…_

"I don't want to fight you Haku-san!" Naruko called as she dodged another hail of senbon from the other girl.

"I don't want to fight you if I can help it, Naruko-san." Haku replied, throwing another rain of senbon at the blonde, who dodged swiftly. "But I must, for Zabuza-sama's wishes are my own. I will defeat you so that his dreams can be realized."

"That's not a healthy way to live, dattebane!" Naruko shouted, deflecting a few of the senbons that managed to get through her dodge and jumping away again to avoid another.

After breaking open Haku's ice domes and getting Sasuke out of harm's way, the two girls had been fighting non-stop ever since. So far, the two girls were evenly matched in skills, with Haku's speed slightly faster than Naruko's.

After Sasuke was taken out of the picture, Haku had dispelled her ice mirrors to conserve her chakra, as maintaining it requires a lot of chakra. Naruko had capitalized on that by going on the offensive, throwing punches and kicks and the occasional shuriken and kunai here and there, while Haku countered with her highly accurate senbon needles and her own speed.

Naruko's speed was nothing to scoff at either as she easily kept up with the older girl. They were so absorbed by their own battle that they didn't notice that Naruto had been skewered by Zabuza's sword, instead focusing on one another, trying to take the other down.

One of Naruko's punches was caught by Haku, who began doing one-handed hand signs, shocking the other girl.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" Naruko shouted.

"**Hijutsu: Sensatsu Suishō (Secret Technique: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death)**" Haku called out as she finished her hand signs.

A thousand water needles appeared around the two of them, before they quickly converged on Naruko when Haku jumped away at the last second. Haku watched as her needles pierced the other girl. She hated hurting other people, but if these people were in Zabuza's way, she would gladly eliminate them for his sake.

Surprised shock filled her when the blonde girl was replaced by a log.

She spun around just in time catch Naruko's punch at her face, which was still covered by her hunter-nin mask. If the mask wasn't there, Haku was sure that her opponent would see the look of utter surprise that was obviously on her face at the moment.

Naruko wasn't done however.

"Watch yourself, Haku-san." She began, grinning. "I want you to see the move I learned from Onii-chan. **Fūton: Daitoppa**!"

The older girl didn't have time to react when a blast of wind erupted from the blonde's mouth, pushing her away with great force. Immediately righting herself in midair and as soon as she landed, Haku spun and threw another hail of senbon, and were once again dodged by the blonde girl.

"Haku-san, please stop!" Naruko pleaded, throwing a few shurikens at Haku who evaded them. "We don't have to fight like this!"

"Yes we do, and we must, for Zabuza-sama's dream." Haku said, running through another set of hand signs. "Even if it means that I'll have to kill you. **Hijutsu: Sensatsu Suishō!**"

Naruko cursed. She ran through a few hand signs before focusing her chakra into the two shurikens in her hands, throwing them when she did. "**Kage Shuriken no Jutsu!** **(Shadow Shuriken Technique)**"

The two spinning stars multiplied into hundreds of thousands, cancelling Haku's technique easily. Pulling out a few more kunais, Naruko attached several paper bombs on them before throwing them.

Seeing the immediate threat, Haku materialized an ice mirror out of thin air in front of her, shielding her from harm when the explosive tags detonated behind the mirror leaving the mirror unscathed.

Dispelling the mirror, Haku stood across from Naruko, both panting from exertion at their high-speed battle. They were at a stalemate — their skills were too evenly matched, and they couldn't get the upper hand over the other. Haku _could_ still use her **Hijutsu: Makyō Hyōshō (Secret Technique: Demonic Ice Mirrors)**, but the chakra requirements were too immense for her drained reserves. Furthermore, Naruko could still use _that_ jutsu that can easily destroy her mirrors again if she wished.

She had to resort to low-level ninjutsu and taijutsu to resolve this fight.

But, Naruko on the other hand never wanted to fight — even if she did have an unlimited supply of chakra from Kurama — she resorted to keep using her words instead.

"Haku-san, I know how much Zabuza-san must mean to you!" she pleaded, "I feel the same way for my Onii-chan, but what he's doing to this village is wrong!"

"I know that." Haku responded, shocking the other girl. "I know how much this country is suffering under that man's rule, but Zabuza-sama needed the money to achieve his dream. And if that is Zabuza-sama's will, then I will follow it."

"No!" Naruko shouted, "You keep referring to yourself as some sort of tool to be used. You are _not_ a tool, Haku! You are a person! With a heart, a mind and a soul! You don't need to do everything that he says!"

Haku was silent for a moment.

"You don't understand, Naruko-san." Haku began, "I _chose_ to be his tool — his weapon to be utilized and wielded however he saw fit. He found me when I was alone, and gave me a purpose to live."

"A purpose to live?" Naruko parroted softly.

"Yes…" Haku replied, "Let me tell you my story…"

And so, Haku spoke of her origins, of her wonderful childhood when everything was still perfect and peaceful — then came the part when she had awakened her Kekkei Genkai, immediately earning her father's ire and hatred, and her mother's death by his hands. How she had killed her father along with the mob that he had gathered to kill her, and wandering the streets of Mizu no Kuni (Land Of Water) alone until Zabuza found her.

From there, she finally explained why she agreed to be his tool, fighting for the man that had raised her.

"Now you know my story." Haku said, "And now you know why I must follow Zabuza-sama's wishes."

Naruko was silent. She was deeply shaken by the other girl's story, as it was eerily similar to her own childhood. The part about finding Zabuza and was devoted to him, it was the same to her when she found Naruto.

They were both children, born into a world that hated them until a certain person lit up the proverbial light in their lives.

They were so much alike it was not even funny.

Still, there was something she could say to solve this.

"I understand Haku." Naruko began, "I really do. But thinking oneself as only a tool and not a human being is both wrong and ridiculous on so many levels. You can still be devoted to the person you love even without being their tool."

"There is no other way." Haku said, "We have wasted enough time talking — it is time to settle this dispute."

Naruko sighed. "So it seems."

It was time to end this, and Naruko could only think of one way to end this stalemate.

_–_ _Kurama-nii? –_

**"****Yeah, vixen?" **the anthropomorphic Kitsune Bijū answered.

_– __Can you lend me your chakra? –_

**"****Do you even have to ask?" **Kurama said with a chuckle. **"I'll give you a single tail's worth of chakra. I could give you two but your body can't handle any more than that, so you'll have to make do."**

_– __It's more than enough, thank you. –_ she took a deep breath, before responding. _– Let's go, Kurama-nii! –_

Haku was about to charge and end the fight as quick and painless as possible for the other girl, when a sudden burst of chakra erupted from the other girl. The chakra felt extremely potent, so powerful that its mere presence almost forced Haku to her knees, eyes wide behind her mask, sweating profusely in confusion and fear.

_'__W-What is this chakra?!' _she thought frantically.

She spun her head to look at Naruko, whose body swirled with a pale red — almost orange chakra, hugging the lithe girl's body like a cloak. The 'cloak' of chakra formed two foxlike ears while also sprouting a chakra tail.

The blonde girl's features had also changed slightly. Her violet eyes were replaced with a deep crimson with a single slit in the middle, her fingers were claw like and her whisker marks had become more feral and pronounced and her canines were also elongated. Her golden blonde hair swirled around like an angry flame, incidentally forming nine tail-like motifs behind her.

All in all, she looked exactly like a fox, both literally and figuratively.

When Naruko's eyes fell on the older girl, Haku froze in fear. She relaxed slightly when she detected the obvious signs of the warm and bubbly girl in those blood red eyes, making her tense up ready for anything.

She didn't even have to be bothered.

The fight ended astonishingly quickly, almost in an instant.

One moment, Naruko was standing across from Haku — a hundred feet at least — but then the blonde girl _moved_, cracking the ground where she stood in a deafening boom. The space of a hundred feet separating her from Haku disappeared in a few seconds, appearing in front of the shocked older girl.

Haku tried to conjure up a hastily created ice mirror, but it was all for naught as she was distracted by a huge explosion that came from her precious person, breaking her concentration.

Naruko capitalized on that and easily punched through the thin piece of ice before connecting her fist into the Yuki girl's mask, shattering it and sending her flying, landing with a painful thud on the ground behind her, unconscious.

Naruko sighed while letting the chakra dissipate. Kurama's chakra felt amazing, but he had told her if she weren't on good terms with him, the feeling was like wearing a coat of acid constantly eating away at you, which was _anything _but pleasant.

Naruko looked back to see Sakura and Tazuna looking at her in awe, and she waved at them.

She also noticed that while she was battling Haku, her brother's fight with Zabuza had also ended. She turned to find Naruto kneeling in front of the man, hands in a familiar green glow of using a healing jutsu. Kakashi was also beside him, his lone eye slowly scrutinizing her from head to toe, making her feel uncomfortable.

It was then she noticed the dark patch of dried blood on the back of her brother's clothes. It looked like it was pierced through, but it wouldn't be fatal if —

It was then Naruto turned around to reveal _another_ patch of dried blood in front of him, confirming her fears. Naruto _had_ been run through by a six foot long cleaver blade!

With that in mind, she was by his side in an instant, who was surprised by her sudden appearance before she hugged him to her, worry filling her.

Naruto was confused. "Naruko-chan, wha—?"

"Baka…" Naruko whispered, tears falling from her eyes as she smacked him, "You baka! I told you to be careful didn't I?! But _no_, you had to go and let yourself be run through by a cleaver blade of all things! BAKA!"

Naruto winced at her anger. He couldn't blame her. He too would be pissed if he was in her position, and he was rarely angry after the merging with Ashura's soul. He slowly wrapped his arms around her frame, holding her shaking form close.

"I'm sorry." Naruto whispered, chuckling mirthfully as he held her tighter. "I am such a bonehead, am I? Always getting into trouble and making you worry. I'm a terrible, terrible, Onii-chan."

"You are…" the girl whispered, "You still are, Onii-chan. But, you're _my_ bonehead Onii-chan — anyone who says otherwise can take it up with my Rasengan."

"Hai, hai…"

Around the two, everyone was giving the two Uzumakis some space and was smiling at their closeness. They were closer than most couples nowadays, and it was endearing to watch them interact with one another.

Kakashi was about to announce that the mission was a success. He opened his mouth to speak —

— only to hear a dull tapping noise coming from across the bridge.

Zabuza's form stiffened as he recognized the tapping. It only belonged to one man —

"Gatō." Zabuza growled out.

"So, he's here. Interesting." Kakashi said with narrowed eyes.

Soon, Gatō's short, rotund form was revealed, one hand holding a walking cane and another arm in a cast. Behind him, his hundred or so mercenaries were standing behind him, trying their best to look menacing with their weapons.

They might as well be kittens given giant swords.

"Bravo everyone, bravo! Especially that last bit with the brother-sister part, that was heart-jerking, wouldn't you say?" Gatō jeered. "Perhaps I should've hired you Konoha shinobi instead to kill the bridge builder. But then again, I would've killed you all the more sooner."

Zabuza stood up, some of his strength had returned to him. "You were never going to pay us, were you?"

It was not a question, but more of a statement.

"Of course not! You ninjas are just too expensive! Better to kill you now rather than pay you off later. And I see that bitch of yours is alive too. Good, I need to _repay_ her for what she did to my arm." He said as he held up his cast, his men chuckling at what the _repayment _would be.

Naruto and Naruto both glared in disgust at the man. Only lowlifes like him would stoop that low to get sexual gratification, if only to compensate for 'something'. Cue wiggling pinky finger.

"Kakashi, we're done here. We have no reason to fight anymore." Zabuza said as he hefted his sword. "Let me deal with this scum of the earth."

"We'll help you." Kakashi offered as he placed his hand over his headband, ready to pull it up.

"No, this is a fight that I'll have to fight, alone." He said as he walked forward. "You just stay out of my way. And if anything happens to me —"

"Don't even think about it." Naruto said coldly as he walked up beside the taller male. "We're helping. No arguments or I'll kill you myself. It's no different than dying by their hands — only much, much more painful."

Zabuza looked at the shorter, but no less intimidating young boy beside him. He relented with a shrug.

"Fine. But Gatō's mine."

"Fine with us." Naruto said with a smirk, turning towards Kakashi and Naruko. "You guys ready?"

"I'm ready whenever you are, Onii-chan." Naruko replied, hands gripping two kunai in reverse grips.

Kakashi pulled up his headband, revealing his Sharingan once more.

"Do you even have to ask? Besides the two of you being my students?"

Naruto turned back towards the mob, blue eyes cold and steely. "Let's do this." He said and the four of them charged with a loud roar.

Gatō saw them coming at him, and being the coward he was, fearfully shoved men in front of him, frantically shouting orders.

"What are you waiting for?! Kill them!" he screamed.

"YEAH!" the mercs shouted as they charged, weapons raised and victims clear.

"Hah. They must be stupid if they think they could take us all —" one of the mercs began, but he never finished his sentence when a kunai courtesy of Naruko lodged itself in his throat, killing him.

Naruko ignored the sick feeling in her stomach for taking a human life, instead focusing her efforts in watching her brother's back as he charged into the fray.

Zabuza cleaved five men at once in one swing of his sword, cackling like a devil. "I'm coming for you Gatō!"

"No! Kill him!"

Kakashi resorted to using taijutsu and putting the mercs under his Sharingan genjutsu before burning them with a fireball.

"Time to even up the odds!" Naruto said, using the weapon of the thug he was fighting against him as he turned to Naruko, "Naruko-chan — Kage Bunshin!"

Naruko nodded her assent as the Uzumaki siblings flared their chakra to use their signature technique.

"**Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique)**"

In an instant, hundreds of copies in shades of gray, blonde, and orange filled the bridge as Naruto and Naruko's clones punched, stabbed, kicked and slashed at the wavering mercs, who had begun to realize they were completely outmatched, their numbers notwithstanding.

Gatō, after witnessing the sudden increase of numbers from the blonde haired brats, tried to turn tail and run. He was stopped from doing so when a flightless arrow landed on the ground in front of him, making him pause and look up at the direction it came from.

It would prove to be his last mistake.

The entire village was there, holding pitchforks, clubs and other crude weapons with a small boy holding a crossbow at the lead — obviously the one who had fired the arrow. Before Gatō even had the time to register that the villagers were revolting, an immense pain erupted from his chest.

Dropping to his knees, he glanced fearfully at the one responsible — Momochi Zabuza, and the man was pissed and looking like the demon he was with the blood of the ones he had killed on his body.

Gatō didn't even had time to scream when Kubikiribōchō — the sword lodged in his chest — was pushed further in, until his face was mere inches from Zabuza's, the man's bloodthirsty grin was absolutely feral.

"See you in Hell, you bastard." Zabuza hissed. "Because that's the only place you'll be going — goodbye Gatō."

And with that parting shot, he cleaved the corrupt man in half, letting the remains drop into the sea below the bridge, never to be seen again.

Zabuza turned to see the rest of the mercs turn tail and run — no doubt losing their will to fight after seeing their leader killed.

He looked up to see Naruto and the rest of the Konoha shinobi pick off the stragglers, before they started celebrating with the villagers, with Naruto and his sister celebrating with the young boy that was leading the villagers.

Slowly trudging back to where an unconscious Haku lay, Zabuza dropped to his knees while pulling her head onto his lap. He looked up in time to see Kakashi nod at him, making him nod back. He also caught Naruto giving him a two-fingered salute and a wide grin, Naruko smiling widely beside the boy.

"Heh… so that was what you meant by _'the power gained by protecting those precious to you'_, huh Haku-chan." Zabuza muttered in understanding, looking up at the laughing villagers and a smiling Naruto and Naruko. "I'm eager to see where you'll end up in the world, and I hope to see you rise up amongst the legends, Uzumaki Naruto."

And it was, on that day, that Nami no Kuni was finally liberated from tyranny.

**~ D ~ R ~**

**And done! **

**Another ****_LONG_**** update for you guys! Enjoy it while you can! I'll be shortening the chapters depending on content length, and seeing as the Wave Arc was my one of my favorite ones, I decided to incorporate longer chapters. Rejoice for you guys! And this chapter is my best work to date! Even my teacher said so! Yeah, you heard me! My English language teacher was actually impressed by this chapter!**

**Take that you morons who said I couldn't write for shit! And I did it in a day too!**

**Oh, I left Zabuza and Haku alive btw, so haha, can't wait to see what will this event cause to the timeline. I can't wait! Can you?! **

**This story would mostly stay within canon, but with a few twists here and there and the team compositions might be different. I also plan to have Naruto do solo missions once in a while, you know to center himself and gather his thoughts. As for Black Zetsu, and to answer the people that are currently flaming at me to let Naruto kill the thing off early: remember, the damn thing can move vast distances with its camouflaging or Hiding like a mole technique, plus it's a plant, so even the most accomplished sensors such as Naruto, even with Negative Emotions Sensing will have a hard time finding him.**

**Anyhow, it's in the works currently.**

**Oh and this chapter is also a test for my line breaks, tell me what you think you guys? Should I keep it? Or should I remove it? PM me or drop me a review, preferably the latter, but the former is just as good as well.**

**Oh, do you want me to incorporate the Naruto Movies as well? The first three in Naruto Part One and the rest the Part Two — I don't know if I want to write about 'The Last: Naruto the Movie' or 'Boruto: The Movie', but hey, let me you will you?**

**Here's the list of movies I'm planning to incorporate into my writing, so please choose from this list —**

**Part One —**

**1\. Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (This one is confirmed. It will be after the Search for Tsunade Arc, and before the Sasuke Retrieval Arc.)**

**2\. Naruto the Movie: Legend of the Stone of Gelel (Not recommended, but what the hell. It might be fun! P.S: Need to rewatch it, just in case.)**

**3\. Naruto the Movie: Guardians of The Crescent Moon Kingdom (Bonding time with Hikaru and the gang!)**

**Part Two —**

**1\. Naruto Shippūden the Movie (Anyone remembers Shion?)**

**2\. Naruto Shippūden the Movie: Bonds**

**3\. Naruto Shippūden the Movie: The Will of Fire**

**4\. Naruto Shippūden the Movie: The Lost Tower (My personal favorite, seeing this is where Naruto and Naruko meets their father. Can you imagine his face when he finds out someone else other than him can use ****_Hiraishin_****?)**

**5\. Naruto Shippūden the Movie: Blood Prison (Also another favorite: Naruto going ballistic when he found out that Naruko was framed.)**

**6\. Naruto Shippūden the Movie: Road to Ninja (Another favorite of mine – who would you want as the main villain? Menma or Naruko's counterpart: Natsumi? Let me know!)**

**I'll create a forum for this story for you guys to answer my questions, and give suggestions of your own. It's on my profile if you're interested.**

**This is HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE!**


	13. Finding Oneself! The Chūnin Exams Begin!

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Thirteen: Finding Oneself! The Chūnin Exams ****Begins!**

* * *

"So, this is goodbye, huh?" Naruto said as he and Team Seven stood in front of the completed bridge in Wave.

Across from him, Zabuza nodded with Haku faithfully by his side.

"Yeah, it is brat." He said, "We'll be heading towards Mizu no Kuni — one of my contacts managed to get me an audience with the rebel leader. We'll be expecting to meet up with them a week from now."

"That's good to hear, Zabuza-san." Naruko said beside her brother, smiling brightly at the older girl beside the man, "Please take care of Haku-chan, alright?"

"Thank you for your concern and hospitality." Haku replied pleasantly, a small smile on her lips. "I'll miss you Naruko-chan."

Naruko smiled at her new friend before proceeding to hug her warmly. "And I you, Haku-chan. Write to me when you get to Kiri, alright?"

Haku just nodded.

It had already been a week since that battle on the bridge that many locals had taken to calling 'The Battle of Nami'. Naruto had commented the name had bordered on the cheesy side, but the name stuck and the events were being retold again and again by the citizens of the newly revived Nami no Kuni.

They were eternally grateful to the shinobi who had granted freedom to their small country, and had promised to spread their tale of their incredible exploits far and wide.

The Konoha ANBU that the Sandaime had sent out beforehand had already ransacked the late tycoon's compound; his entire fortune lay bare and abandoned. The ANBU took the liberty of 'repurposing' the stolen wealth and sent the majority of the money into Nami no Kuni's coffers, as per the Hokage's orders to help the country rebuild.

After recuperating from the battle, Naruto had volunteered his shadow clones as a cheap labor force to continue building the bridge — what with Tazuna's workers down for the count, someone had to take up the hammer. On the third day, Naruko had finally caught up as to why her brother had been absent for their training sessions and promptly offered her own services as well.

Tazuna couldn't be happier — a force of over a thousand clones were more than enough to complete the bridge in record time, and it helped that both Uzumakis had a knack for carpentering and construction.

Then, on the third day, Sasuke woke up.

The first thing everyone noticed was the familiar red of the Sharingan in the boy's eyes — one tomoe in the left eye, two tomoe in the right. Kakashi then explained to him everything that had happened after he had been knocked unconscious, where Naruto managed to convince Zabuza to switch sides and help them kill Gatō.

At first, Sasuke was pissed and miffed at missing the action, but he finally relented when Haku apologized to him, partially soothing his heavily bruised ego. It helped that Naruto — the object of his constant ire and hatred — was making an effort to be sociable to the Uchiha, which slightly surprised the boy.

The blonde even offered to train with him, but he did warn the raven head to _not_ try to kill him, or Naruto would follow through with his threat that he had made on the first day they had met. All things considered, they managed to placate the Uchiha's anger.

Team Seven continued to train in earnest, in light of the recent events which shook their confidence in their abilities to the core, and had pestered their lazy Jōnin-sensei to train them further, as to prepare for events such as this one in the future.

Kakashi gladly obliged, although his tardiness was beginning to grate on their nerves — including Naruko's who was the most level-headed of the bunch, and only after threatening to report him to the Hokage had managed to get the silver-haired man to actually teach them something more productive.

He had a gut feeling in his stomach that it was Naruto who orchestrated the entire thing, but he still couldn't prove it. The situation was, as a lazy Nara would say — troublesome.

Throughout the week, Zabuza only kept to himself, preferring to train alone and join the others only for meals and other small activities. He did share a meaningful conversation with Kakashi, the fellow legendary shinobi giving his thoughts on current events and the way of the world. The bandaged swordsman also spent his time talking with Naruto, who he acknowledged as a fellow swordsman — a strong one at that.

But, what was most obvious of all, he spent almost every spare time that he had with his adopted daughter — Haku, Momochi Yuki Haku.

Haku wanted to keep the Yuki name to honor her dead clan, but she always preferred using the Momochi name while introducing herself to other people. She still got her kicks by playing with other people's perceptions by saying that she was a boy, while in actual fact she was a girl.

Unknown to her, Naruto breathed a massive sigh of relief at that admission. Faith in his preference of the opposite sex restored.

Damn his dimension's Haku for being androgynous.

Around Haku, Zabuza had opened up a lot more than what his usual personality entailed. Under the mask of a deadly assassin, was a man who laughed a lot, who made jokes, who likes dango and — interesting enough, _loathes_ seafood.

He made that utterly clear one night when he almost used one of his jutsus to blow away a dish of grilled unagi when it was placed on the dining table. He would've if not for Naruto's quick thinking and Kakashi's ingrained reflexes, the entire house would be flooded that night.

When asked why he hates seafood so much, he hastily replied it was for personal reasons, and he was questioned no further than that. There were no more dishes of seafood made after that little episode.

What was truly remarkable during the week was the way Haku and Naruko had bonded, and in turn Sakura as well, and by the end of the third day, they were the best of friends. They were born into a world that hated them, wandering it alone until they found solace in the person they cherish the most in their hearts.

When Kakashi had commented that they were so alike in background and personality they could be sisters, they happily accepted that notion — as surrogate sisters, with Haku as the elder one. Naruto just accepted their newfound sisterly relationship with a grin.

In his mind, if Naruko's happy, he's happy.

There was another thing that Naruto had noticed and couldn't help but be pleased.

Inari, Tazuna's grandson, had also changed for the better. He was laughing again, he attended meals with smiles on his face, and he always had something to talk about with his mother or grandfather. The specter of the once gloomy, brooding boy was gone — in its place, a bright and cheerful child that he was supposed to be.

Mission accomplished.

Then came the final day, where they would go their separate ways — Zabuza and Haku to Kiri, and the Konoha shinobi back to their village.

Naruko ended the hug and stepped back to stand with Naruto as Sakura walked up to hug the older girl. Zabuza shared a nod with the other members of Team Seven, eyes lingering a little longer at Naruto before they nodded at each other. A silent understanding was shared between them — there was no need for words.

They would strive to protect their precious people, until their very last breath.

"Well, we're off!" Zabuza stated, turning around a started on his way. "See you around, Konoha shinobi — may our paths cross again."

Naruto laughed.

"Oh, _only_ Konoha shinobi?" he asked playfully, "What happened, I thought we were friends?"

Zabuza laughed as well.

"_God_ damn it, brat." He said, "_Alright_, goodbye Naruto _and_ Kakashi. Was that good enough for you?"

"Very." Naruto cheekily replied, "See you around, Zabuza."

As the man progressively walked further away, Haku turned and bowed one last time.

"Thank you everyone, for helping Tou-san achieve his dream." Haku had taken to calling him by that ever since he had admitted she was like a daughter to him, and she was ecstatic. "I hope we'll meet again."

And with that, she waved goodbye to her new friends before running to catch up with her new father. The two of walked some ways away before disappearing in twin swirls of water, heading on their way.

Kakashi turned towards his students. "Well, it's time for us to leave as well."

Behind them, a crowd of villagers had already formed, wanting to see their heroes off with a joyful cheer. Inari was standing with his mother and grandfather, tears in his eyes. He ran forward before hugging Naruto around his waist, crying into his shirt.

Naruto knelt down and returned the hug. "Hey now, don't cry Inari. It's not as if we're never going to see each other again."

Inari sniffed.

"I'll do my best Naruto-nii-chan," he said, "I'll protect my family and this village when I'm older, you can count on me."

"That's the spirit!" Naruto said, pulling back and ruffling the boy's hair. "Take care of yourself alright?"

Inari smiled up at him, head tilted to one side.

"Nii-chan… are you crying?" he asked.

Naruto then noticed something wet fall down his cheek, bringing his hand up to wipe them. Normally, he would've denied it vehemently with a wide grin on his face, but he wasn't wearing bright orange anymore — so yeah, he was crying.

"Yes, yes I am Inari." He said with a smile. "Didn't you forget someone else?"

Naruto gestured behind the boy, who turned to see Naruko looking at the two of them warmly. Inari promptly sprinted to the girl.

"Naruko-nee-chan!" he shouted as he hugged her, who returned the embrace. "I'll miss you so much!"

Naruko laughed, tears also falling from her eyes. "Hai… I'll miss you too, Inari-chan. Be strong for your family, m'kay?"

"Hai!"

Sasuke watched the scene with longing eyes. How many times had Itachi hugged him when he had nightmares, or when their father was particularly harsh in his berating? He shook his head, best not to think about them now. It will only cause more pain.

Kakashi waited for the goodbyes to be exchanged before calling out. "Naruto, Team Seven; we're heading out!"

"Hai, sensei!" everyone chorused as they fell in line, crossing the bridge into Hi no Kuni.

Naruto looked back and waved at the townspeople who were cheering their goodbyes, Inari and his family included. Glancing beside him, Naruko and Sakura were also doing the same, while Sasuke had a small smirk on his lips as he too glanced back at the distancing crowd. Kakashi just had his nose buried in his orange book.

How typical.

When they were halfway across the bridge, they leaped away, heading into the trees for the trek back to Konoha.

Back with the villagers, Tazuna was rubbing his chin, deep in thought. Tsunami had noticed his lapse in attention, and promptly asked about it.

"Otou-san? What's wrong?" she asked. Inari was also looking at him with curious eyes.

Tazuna shrugged with a grin. "We haven't named the bridge yet." They were murmurs throughout the crowd, a dozen voices voicing out their ideas to him. "I know, let's call it 'the Super Tazuna Bridge'!" he stated, earning loud laughs from the villagers.

Inari stuck his tongue out at him. "That's lame, Ojii-san!" he said

As he adopted a cute thinking pose while the villagers laughed at Tazuna's expense, Inari was only thinking of two people that had helped him so much in such a short time. There was one name that kept popping into his mind.

Inari nodded.

"How about… 'The Great Uzumaki Bridge'!" he shouted, earning several curious gazes from everyone. "To honor Naruto-nii-chan and Naruko-nee-chan's efforts that brought back the spirit of the people of Wave!"

Tazuna ran the name a few times with his mouth before nodding, "Okay! The Great Uzumaki Bridge it is!"

And with that the villagers cheered and celebrated the day of their freedom and their two new heroes. The future seemed bright for their country.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

The trip back to Konoha was uneventful to say the least, and the Konoha group arrived back at the village gates early the next day, having kept to the trees and jumping from branch to branch to save time.

After passing inspection by the gate guards — a pair of chūnin named Izumo and Kotetsu — Naruto and Team Seven immediately headed towards the Hokage Mansion to give their report. The reactions of the occupants was to be expected of a C-rank turned A-rank mission, but what really got Naruto laughing was the indifferent air the Sandaime exuded when he got the report of this mission — it was as if he knew what would happen during the mission and was not surprised in the slightest.

Poor Iruka-sensei was just staring agape at the four genin and one jōnin as Kakashi finished his report.

"… and that is all, Hokage-sama." Kakashi said with a bow as he stepped back to join his team.

"Thank you Kakashi. Good work, Team Seven." Hiruzen said, "You four will be given full pay befitting your mission ranking — an A-rank. Congratulations."

Sasuke and Sakura gave a start, surprise on their features at the high mission ranking. Naruko just smiled while Naruto shrugged.

Sasuke was smirking, thinking about how he had one upped every other Genin Team in Konoha by achieving an A-rank right out of the Academy. Sakura was sighing in relief to survive that mission.

"I was actually surprised that you were able to make an ally out of Momochi Zabuza, Naruto-kun." Hiruzen continued. There was something in his tone that Naruto couldn't place. "And also, according to Kakashi's report, established ties with a near extinct clan?"

"That is correct, Hokage-sama." Naruto said with a small bow. "Yuki Haku is the last of the Yuki Clan, so being on her good side coincides with Konoha being on her good side. A win-win scenario if you ask me."

"So it would seem… well done." Hiruzen said, "Everyone except for Naruko and Naruto, you are dismissed."

With that order, the rest of Team Seven and Iruka bowed before taking their leave. Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke, no doubt reading his preferred novel genre.

Sasuke lingered a bit longer before he too turned and walked out, followed by a relieved Sakura, who probably wanted to get home as soon as possible.

Once everyone was out, Hiruzen sighed. "ANBU, leave us."

Once he felt that the four hidden bodyguards had left, Hiruzen put up a privacy jutsu. He turned to regard Naruto, who was sporting a thoughtful look. Naruko just looked at her brother with a curious expression.

"So, how did you think the mission went?" the wizened man asked.

"Personally, I'd say it went better than expected." Naruto replied, his eyes narrowed in concern. "But, you can bet that Black Zetsu will also feel the change as well — he was expecting them to die, after all."

"Yes, that… _thing._" Hiruzen muttered in disgust. "The one responsible for everything that was going wrong in the world… the will of Kaguya."

Naruko averted her gaze, lest her brother and grandfather figure see the deep scowl that was on her face. Just the mere thought of that _thing_ — the thing that caused so much pain in her brother's life — appalled her to no end. Her brother's suggestion of shoving a mountain-sized Rasengan in its face wasn't enough in her opinion.

A continent sized Rasengan would do just fine, she thought sinisterly.

"Well, with any luck, we won't have to worry about it that much." Naruto stated with a wide grin, earning perplexed looks from his audience. "From what I know of that bastard, he likes to think himself omnipotent — that nothing could go wrong no matter how many times his supposedly flawless plans are disrupted."

How could he forget? Standing in the middle of the war-torn landscape, its grotesque features twisted in an insane grin as it covered half the face of Uchiha Obito, using his weakened body as a puppet for the thing. How it had mocked his existence — his very life and stating how insignificant his efforts were as no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't save his friends.

Naruto remembered how it had slandered the sacrifices of those who gave their lives for a greater cause, who died believing that everything would be all right in the end — their lives were just as irrelevant when compared to its _mother_. How it had pissed him off to no end as it spoke of how their lives were _so_ easy to manipulate and play with, like a fiddle.

Always going on about its mother — if the thing wasn't technically alive, Naruto would've called him the king of all 'momma's boys'.

"Even still, I have to be cautious — Kami did _not_ send me back to change everything." He continued, "She just wants me to change the final outcome of the Fourth Shinobi World War for the better, and if I change too much of the timeline, there was a chance that the Fourth War will not happen, and the very fabric of reality will be thrown out of balance…"

She had visited him once, on their way back from Nami. She appeared to him in a dream sequence when Naruto was planning to change even more events of the timeline — starting with Sasuke's Cursed Seal and entertaining the possibility of killing Orochimaru.

Kami, however, had sensed his thoughts and went to him to warn him about the consequences of his actions.

_'__Remember what I told you before I sent you back,' _she had said, _'__Think about what you are about to change and act accordingly_—_ these are the words I said to you when you came back. Black Zetsu is no fool _—_ he can sense when something is wrong and you will most likely have to deal with the Akatsuki sooner than you are ready if you're not careful. I sent you back to change the outcome of the world, but I did __not__ send you back to change every little thing.'_

Those were the words she had said to him, and Naruto had to breathe a sigh of relief as his hunch about Black Zetsu was right.

Hiruzen looked deep in thought while Naruko looked slightly confused, making Naruto give her an apologetic nudge through their bond and a look that promised to give her an explanation.

Hiruzen sighed softly. "Yes, I believe I can understand her reasoning — more so if this _thing_ is as omnipotent as you said it is."

Naruto sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"All this talk about the supposed 'Butterfly Effect' Tou-chan's notes had talked about is giving me a headache." He said, "Space-Time Ninjutsu and theory were his repertoire, not mine. I still have a _long_ way to go before I can even understand the basics."

Hiruzen nodded as he chuckled softly.

"Yes, Minato was always well versed in the sealing arts, even more so than Jiraiya." He said, puffing his pipe. "Well, there is some good news accredited to the success of the mission, as you all have managed to secure Kirigakure as a possible ally in the future." Naruto and Naruko looked at him in surprise at his words. "With the good word of one of the Seven Swordsman and one of the last of the Yuki Clan, the new administration would definitely see the merit of an alliance."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Naruto conceded.

Turning to look at his sister, he raised a curious eyebrow when he saw her trying to smother her giggles. It was mostly successful — though a few scattered titters escaped.

At his questioning look, Naruko grinned in amusement.

"Sorry, just thinking about that half-plant bastard." She explained, "Didn't think you would find someone other than Sasuke with a _larger_ and _longer_ stick up his butt, Onii-chan. What's more, it's not even human."

Hiruzen chuckled at that as Naruto just laughed out loud. Leave it to Naruko to find amusement in comparing their worst enemy with the village poster boy. It was what Naruto would've done, if he were to be honest with himself.

Naruko turned and bowed slightly to the Sandaime.

"If that is all, Hokage-Jiji, I and my brother would like to return to our homes and rest." She requested, punctuating her point when she let out a yawn. "It's been a long two days."

"Of course." Hiruzen said as he stood and walked over to the two of them and hugged them. Pulling back, he gave them a stern nod. "Get some rest you two, dismissed."

"Hai, Jiji!" they both said in unison, bolting from the room in laughter before Hiruzen had time to react to their words.

He laughed lightly to himself. Those two always seem to make things a bit livelier around the village.

It must be their inherent Uzumaki genes.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

"So, remind me again why we're doing this?" Naruto asked incredulously as he stood behind Naruko in a clothing shop, watching his sister choose from a variety of outfits that were displayed on the racks.

"I need a new look." Naruko said, "I've been sticking to this wardrobe for the past three years. I think it's time for a change."

Three years? From what he knew of girls, such as Sakura and Ino, they changed wardrobes faster than he could replace his used kunai and shuriken. It was impressive… for a girl at least. Truly, the girl in front of him was really serious about her career as a kunoichi.

"Okay, I get that." He admitted, "But why do you need _me_ for?"

"I want your opinion on my wardrobe silly!" Naruko playfully said, turning to look at him with her hands on her hips. "Besides, I get the feeling you wouldn't let me wear something like that Anko lady wears every day."

"Oh no, no way! Nah ah!" Naruto hastily said, his arms in a cross. He was tolerant on many things, but he drew a line on that! "I know you want to be practical as a kunoichi, but you don't actually have to wear something that screams 'walking sex' everywhere right?" he grumbled, pouting as he did.

Naruko giggled at his expression. He was just so cute when it came to her modesty. Anko's attire really did scream erotica no matter how you looked at it — fishnet body suit that hugged her body, short khaki skirt, and trench coat. Naruko giggle once more at the adamant expression on her brother's face.

That was why she had dragged him here in the first place, to get his opinion on her new wardrobe — and secretly hoping that her body was to his liking.

_'__At least, I hope so.' _She thought idly as she picked out a few more outfits before turning on her heel and moved off towards the fitting rooms.

Three weeks had passed since their C-rank turned A-rank mission to Wave, and since that day the two Uzumakis were hard at work training themselves to the bone. Every spare time they could scrounge up in between missions was used for their training sessions. Their weekends were usually spent reading up on new jutsus in the library or sparring against one another.

Currently, Naruko could say with pride that she could keep up with her brother in an all-out spar for up to twenty minutes before he pulls out the big guns — mostly his elemental ninjutsu and the Rasengan — usually ending the fight almost instantly. Still, she was getting stronger every day, due in no small part to her favorite brother.

His constant words of encouragement, his laughs, his patient way of teaching — she loved every moment she had spent with him during their sessions, eagerly anticipating for what new things she would learn from him the next day, and the day after that. Naruko had already expanded her arsenal of jutsus to utilize, and her taijutsu was being honed each and every day in their spars. Her weight seals had doubled since their time in Wave, and her fūinjutsu studies were coming along nicely as well.

Naruto had once commented that her skills had reached that of a high level chūnin; low-jōnin if she used Kurama's chakra. He also said that she was stronger than he could ever hope to achieve at her age, and hearing that from her most precious person brought up bittersweet feelings in her stomach.

Naruko was both grateful and elated for his guidance and teaching, since Kakashi was still lazy and not willing to train them. She was one step closer in achieving her goal of finally standing as an equal by her brother's side, and her dream of becoming Hokage.

What made it bittersweet was that she had this chance to improve, had this chance to become stronger — her brother hadn't gotten either of that.

He had trained by his lonesome since he was a Genin, without help from either his peers or his teachers. He had become strong because he endured the pain of loneliness with a smile, never backing down and always moving forward.

For that fact alone, Naruko knew she was lucky to be spared that fate — but she was also feeling _unlucky_ because those hardships were what made Naruto the man he was today. Those experiences had matured him, hardened him, making him wiser and more knowledgeable and perceptible to other people's emotions and the way of the world.

She felt that she had somehow missed out on an important opportunity…

The irony was not lost on the girl.

But, for all that strength, both physically and mentally, he does have a _major_ problem — not knowing what love is.

This leads our favorite blonde beauty to her choice of bringing Naruto to go clothes shopping with her, despite his whining protests. She needed to show him just how much she trusts him with her personal problems and her privacy, the latter of which he passed with flying colors if his reaction to her words earlier were any indication.

Naruko didn't know how she would proceed after this, but she planned to cross that bridge when the time came. For now, she'd stick with her original plan.

"Oi, Naruko-chan." Naruto's voice suddenly called out.

Pausing in her steps, she turned to address him before something was literally shoved in her face. Tilting her head to the side to get a better look at it, she was surprised to find clothes almost stuffed in her face.

Naruto was facing to the side, unable to bring himself to look at her lest she see the embarrassed look he had. He had chosen this outfit on a gut feeling — call it intuition if you will, and his gut had always never failed him before, so he had picked up the clothes his instincts were telling him to take and had given them to Naruko.

Secretly, he sincerely hoped she liked his choices, and hoped that his instincts won't fail him now.

Naruko eyed the bundle of clothing in his hands for a brief moment. Giggling, she took them out of his hands with a smile. Inwardly, she was dancing for joy as it was Naruto who had picked the clothes for her — _no one _had done that for her before!

"Thank you, Onii-chan." She said, and before Naruto could open his mouth to consider trying them on, she continued. "And of course I'll try them on for you — I trust you after all." She finished with a warm smile, putting as much emotion into her words as possible.

Laughing at the dumbfounded look on her brother's face, having burned it in her memory, she turned before walking into one of the fitting rooms, disappearing from sight. She had meant her words as well, and she was hoping that this small gesture was enough for him to pick up on it.

What she didn't know… was the effect her words had on him.

Naruto just stood there, jaw gaping for a moment before lightly slapping himself to regain his senses. Chuckling lowly to himself, he looked up at the store's ceiling, deep in thought at his sister's words to him.

_'__I trust you…'_

Her words kept replaying in his mind, and no matter how he looked at it, it sounded simple and innocent enough. But the way she had said it — that certain, no-nonsense and sure tone she was using… it didn't make sense to him. Sure, others before had said they trusted him, but he had paid them no mind since he was helping them out.

But Naruko… she was a whole different story altogether.

He shook his head slightly, frowning as he did. Why was he so unnerved by how she had said those words? But, the way she had said it… it was as if… as if…

It was as if she trusted him with _everything._

Yes, that was the feeling he got from her words, and it confused and frightened him. Confused, because he didn't know why she had said those words to him. Frightened, because he wasn't sure he could honor that trust she had in him, and not break it to pieces in the end.

It was a paranoia of his, when he had promised to save Neji from his fate of the Cursed Seal. Hinata back then had put her trust in him to do that, back during his own Chūnin Exams, just before he was about to fight Neji. She had trusted him to save the Hyūga Clan from their curse, and free the Branch Members. He felt that he had betrayed that trust when Neji was killed, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. Then, he himself had gotten killed as well…

_Trust_ was such a heavy word it seemed.

Naruto sighed. Leaning against one of the walls, his mind whirled at the significance of Naruko's words. Just as he was about to shelve that line of thought, his sister came walking out of the fitting room.

As soon as he laid his eyes on her, Naruto froze.

He was certain that his face was burning red right now, as he stared unabashed at the girl that he was just thinking of.

Naruko was currently wearing a form-fitting dark blue and burnt orange colored jacket — the same one he had worn which was a gift from Jiraiya — only with the black patterns replaced with dark blue and the high collar was absent, instead it was round necked. This jacket also had slight differences in terms of size, material and of course, the way she wore it.

The jacket's top half was left unzipped, which exposed what she was wearing underneath — a black shirt with visible mesh armor underneath. The knee length form-fitting black pants were still the same, but she had wrapped bandages around her right thigh, and tied a kunai holster over it.

Naruko's violet eyes glittered in amusement as she giggled at a red-faced Naruto. She had purposely discarded the clothes she had chosen before in favor of the one her brother had chosen for her, and it seemed to fit her nicely and had done its job well, seeing Naruto's reaction. She hoped that his taste in fashion weren't as bad as he said they were, but after putting the clothes on, she was pleasantly surprised.

She watched as Naruto stood there gaping for a few moments before he seemed to collect himself, snapping him out of his self-induced stupor. Staring at the girl with wide eyes, Naruto stood silent for a moment.

"W-Whoa, Naruko-chan…" he began, "I-I didn't think you would try on the outfit I picked for you first. It suits you…"

Naruko laughed melodically.

"Why thank you, Onii-chan." She said, "You're the one who picked it out for me, of course I would try it on first."

Now admittedly, he was once apprenticed to one of the Densetsu no Sannin, the self-proclaimed 'Super Pervert', Naruto firmly told himself that he was _not_ a pervert like his master.

However, being the white-haired Sannin's apprentice, he would always find himself in embarrassingly annoying situations, such as proofreading the man's new 'Icha Icha' drafts and listening to the man lecture on and on about the wonders of the female body and how to please one when the time came for him to 'pop a girl's cherry', as the man so eloquently put it.

As a result of those 'training' moments, Naruto had developed a healthy appreciation for the female body — some more so than others.

Which was why he found it hard _not_ to stare at the most beautiful girl he had ever met in his two lifetimes, who had already started to develop a womanly figure and was evidently still growing, despite being only thirteen years old. The girl was also fun-loving, cheerful, and more mature than he ever was when he was at her age.

After spending more than two months in this new dimension with the girl, Naruto could honestly say that it was one of the best times of his admittedly lonely life — like a drowning man pulled onto shore, only starting to gasp for breath.

_'__I trust you…'_

Her words echoed once more in the boy's consciousness, making him face yet _another_ dilemma of his: his confusing feelings for his sister.

They were brother and sister, yet not at the same time. They were twins, yet they shared a bond that not even the most devoted of lovers could accomplish. They were family and they loved one another greatly, but the love Naruto was feeling for his sister was confusing him, as it felt like there was something _more_ to it than the love he felt for his surrogate family and friends.

No, this was _way_ different. It's even stronger than when he was chasing Sakura back during his early shinobi years — a _thousand_ times stronger. And the foreign feeling was only getting stronger as time passed.

Unknown to him, a certain Bijū quietly huffed and rolled his eyes in exasperation. **_'Well, that's better than last time at least.'_** he thought absently. **_'I wonder what the vixen would do next to get him to realize what he was feeling at the moment… it hurts seeing the kit stumble around like this…'_**

"Well, I guess I have good instincts when it comes to your attire." The boy found himself saying as he was pulled from his thoughts. "I can't think of anyone who could top that look of yours — you look stunning."

Naruko blushed red, before grinning at the compliment.

"Oh, you flatterer you." She said playfully, putting her hand on her cheek while waving shyly with the other, perfectly imitating the 'shy girl' look, unknowingly causing Naruto's heart to skip a beat, "You're making me blush, Naruto-kun."

The blonde boy paused at her words, making her look at him in concern for his sudden silence. She was about to voice out to him to ask if everything was alright, before he beat him to the punch.

"D-Did you just call me Naruto-kun?" he asked softly, a look of surprised bafflement on his face.

He was shocked. She had never called him by anything other than Onii-chan when they had first met, and to hear her speak his name in such an endearing manner was strange to him… not that he was complaining. Nope, he wasn't complaining at all — in fact, a small part of him actually enjoyed it when it came from her lips.

Naruko looked at him strangely for a few moments, before her brain finally caught up to what she had said moments before. Blushing red as a tomato, she put her hands on her face while turning away, unable to look the boy in the eye, mentally cursing her slip.

She had gotten too carried away by the playful banter to watch what she was saying. If she were honest with herself, both 'Onii-chan' and 'Naruto-kun' sounded fine in her opinion.

"S-Sorry…" she mumbled, still turned away. "I guess I got too carried away. If it bothers you, I'll stop—"

"No, no, it's fine." Naruto gently replied, cutting her off midsentence. "Really, it's fine Naruko-chan. I don't mind if you called me that, it's just that I was shocked for a minute when you said it because you always called me 'Onii-chan' since we became family, so it's a surprise for me when you said it."

This time, Naruko slowly turned towards him, the blush still on her face. She meekly rubbed the side of her arms, clearly embarrassed as she offered him a small smile. Naruto had to resist the urge to not hug the living daylights out of the girl — she looked so adorable at the moment!

"Okay…" she said quietly.

Without another word, she grabbed a few copies of the clothes she was wearing and proceeded to pay for them, the two of them leaving the store with multiple bags filled with Naruko's clothing.

As the duo walked down the road leading back home, Naruto smiled to himself as he watched Naruko walk in front of him with a certain bounce in her steps. It was heartwarming to watch his precious person acting so carefree and happy at the moment, and in turn it made him happy as well.

Absently, he reached into his jacket's pocket and unsealed a large ledger, running his hands over the worn material that made up the cover.

On the outside, it looked like an ordinary old book — what with its leather cover that clearly showed signs of use and age along with yellowed, dog-eared pages. But, despite its destitute look, it was one of the most important artifacts left from the extinct Uzushiogakure no Sato — the Uzumaki Clan Journal.

The Sandaime had given it to him about a week ago, when the old man said that it was his and Naruko's by birthright. Naruto was grateful to the old Kage for returning the journal to him — he had never actually touched the book, both during the first time around and this time around. So, it came as a sort of revered awe that he had accepted the book.

He had no plans about reviving the Uzumaki Clan, but it wouldn't hurt if he and Naruko learned about the history and customs of their mother's family. Most of the information in the journal was already common knowledge in Naruto's time, so the reading was done for his sister's benefit more than anything else. But then, while he was reading it alone last night, Naruto came across a startling discovery…

Balancing the bags on his arms for better leverage, he flipped the journal open before finally stopping on a page titled _'Uzumaki Longevity and Regeneration'_. Tracing his fingers down to a paragraph that he had highlighted last night, Naruto reread the whole section once more, each word sounding more ridiculous as he kept on reading it.

'_Due to the Uzumaki's extraordinary longevity and natural regeneration, it is indeed possible that any offspring that result from a union between two members of the same family would be perfectly healthy and free from any abnormalities that were normally associated with a child born under the same circumstances outside of the Uzumaki Clan._' he mentally read, '_That was why the practice of interbreeding among clan members were common during the Warring Clans period (see pages 62-80 for reference) when the Uzumaki Clan were still small and dangerously close to extinction…'_

The rest of the passage describes the theories and assumptions as to why this was the case, ranging from genetic and biological factors to the Uzumaki's potent chakra. But all of them meant little to Naruto, for there was only one thing on his mind.

He can have a family, the family he had always wanted, with his own _sister_.

The thought alone sent the time displaced blonde's mind into a loop. Never in a million years would he imagine finding himself in this kind of situation. If it was a year ago, back when he had completed his three-year training trip with Jiraiya and was still chasing Sakura, he wouldn't have this kind of problem, but now…

He was _here_, right now, in another dimension, crushing hard on his gender bended counterpart and actually _considering_ having a _family_ with her of all things. This was like some surreal dream that he once had when he was just a boy and didn't want to wake up from…

But it _was_ real. Everything was _real_. The time travel, the Sandaime, his meeting with Naruko, her acceptance, her unconditional love… everything was _real._

Only now, did the full impact of Kami's decision was truly felt by him, and it brought forth a storm of emotions that threatened to spill from every pore of his being.

She gave him a miracle — a second chance. A chance to live the life that was robbed from him — this was Kami's gift to him, as her chosen Child of Prophecy. A chance to live a life free from the horrors of war and death, and finally break the cycle of hatred that consumes the world.

She gave him this chance; he would rather die than squander her generosity.

"Onii-chan?" the voice of the one he treasured most deeply spoke to him. "Are you okay?"

He felt her soft hands cradle his face; thumbs wiping away the liquid that he didn't know were falling from his eyes. Looking into her concerned violet orbs, he smiled — a true and genuine smile from his heart.

"I'm fine…" he began, chuckling tearfully as he did. "More than fine Naruko-chan — in fact, I've never felt this great in my entire life…"

Looking into his cerulean eyes, Naruko saw a myriad of emotions — acceptance, gratitude, and love just to name a few. It was reflected clearly in the boy's eyes, the haunted look of a broken man that he had which was always buried beneath their depths was absent — as if it were never there before.

And their bond… the sudden surge of emotions nearly floored her, and she immediately wrapped her arms around the boy's midsection, not caring if they were on the street in the middle of the village. She had felt his relief, his acceptance of his sadness and sorrow and his gratitude for a second chance in life…

He needed her, and that's what matters.

Feeling him wrap his own arms around her, she rested her head against the boy's chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. Ignoring the looks the villagers were giving them, the duo stayed like that for a few moments.

"I'm here, Onii-chan…" she whispered. A strangled sob escaped from him. "You're not alone anymore, and you'll never be alone again. That's my promise of a lifetime, dattebane."

He just hugged her tighter to himself, small sobs of relief escaping from his mouth.

"T-Thank you…" he choked out.

He pulled back and looked straight into her eyes — tear streaked but intense blue eyes brimming with determination and conviction.

"I'll always be with you too." Naruto said firmly as if stating an undeniable fact. "Even when you think you are alone — rely on me, as I've come to rely on you, and I will never leave you, till the day I die."

Tears brimming in her eyes, Naruko smiled before nodding into his chest, a feeling of contentment washing over her. Her brother had come a long way to finally accept his failures and the people he had left behind. Even when Minato and Kushina had acknowledged him as their son, she still felt an undercurrent of negative emotions in her brother that he was still trying to master.

His grief, his anger, his self-depreciating outlook on himself — all of them were laid bare at the moment as he finally released them, washed away in a river of tears. She didn't know what triggered it, but she highly suspected it to be her slip of words from before and the Uzumaki Clan Journal that lay forgotten on the ground beneath them.

She needed to take a look at just what he had read to trigger such a reaction from her precious person, but right now, all that mattered was her brother's happiness.

And she wouldn't have it any other way.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure, puffed on his pipe as he eyed the assembly in front of him. He was dressed in full ceremonial Hokage's robes, hat and all, and had tilted it so to hide the top half of his face

The time had finally arrived — their village had been chosen to host this year's Chūnin Selection Exams. It was, with great pride and trepidation, that Konoha accepted the honor of hosting this yearly event, where every shinobi village's promising batch of Genin would put their mettle to the test in a battle of strength between villages in order to earn their promotion to chūnin.

But there was also another reason for the Sandaime's trepidation: his forewarned knowledge of Orochimaru's plans to invade the village under the pretense of the exams with his own village — Otogakure (Village Hidden in Sound) with the help of Sunagakure.

Another reason was of course, his own impending death by his former prized student's hands.

Hiruzen closed his eyes and calmed his mind. No need to get too excited, for he had promised Naruto to consult with the boy first before making any sudden moves. And he would honor that promise, for the boy's and Naruko's sake.

_'__Alright, let's get this over with.'_ He thought as he began his speech to his gathered Jōnin.

"As you all had probably known by now, the Chūnin Exams is upon us…"

He continued on to explain the rules, guidelines, security measures, list of proctors and venues to be used during the two-part event, and once he was finished, it was now time to announce the teams that would be participating.

As expected, Hatake Kakashi stepped forward.

"I nominate Team Seven for this year's exams; I believe they are ready." He said seriously.

There were multiple murmurs from the gathered Jōnin. A rookie team was rare in these exams, and the Copy Ninja had just nominated his own rookie team. They were already surprised that the lazy silver head had managed to land himself a team. Looks like this year's exams were going to be interesting.

Hiruzen nodded as Yūhi Kurenai stepped forward as well, nominating Team Eight. Then, she was followed by his son, Sarutobi Asuma, nominating Team Ten.

This time, the murmurs had become full-blown chatter amongst the assembly. One rookie team was rare enough, but there were _three_ in this exam. Everyone was staring incredulously or protesting at the three Jōnin-senseis, who remained resolute and were standing by their decisions. Iruka was the most adamant among the protesters, who said that they were once his students and they weren't ready yet, even if they did show promise and talent. Kakashi however, shot the scarred chūnin down coldly, telling him that he was _not_ their sensei anymore, and they weren't his students anymore.

Iruka had begrudgingly accepted his words and backed down.

Hiruzen held up a hand to quell the chatter. Almost immediately, the entire room went silent, waiting for their leader to speak.

"If the Jōnin-senseis of these three nominated teams believe that their teams are ready, then so be it." He declared strongly, reminding the assembly that why he was chosen as the Hokage in the first place. "Are there any more teams that you all wish to be nominated?"

At this, Kakashi spoke up once more. "Actually, Hokage-sama, there is one more…" he said, making everyone look at him curiously. What was he talking about?

Hiruzen just nodded knowingly at the man's words.

"I see…" he replied, "And do you believe he is ready?"

It was pointless to ask, the old man knew, but he needed to hear it from the boy's Jōnin handler himself.

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama; he will utterly _crush_ the entire competition." Kakashi stated seriously, shocking his audience. "There's no question about it; there will be no contest, just a complete and utter rout."

Kurenai looked at the man, an incredulous look on her delicate features. "What are you talking about? Who are you are referring to?"

Asuma nodded his assent, eyes showing that he too wanted to know who their fellow Jōnin was referring to.

Kakashi eye smiled at them. "Why, my other student of course: Uzumaki Naruto is his name, Naruko's brother."

The gathered men and women had already knew that of course — the council had released news of the existence of their resident sunshine Jinchuriki's newly found brother almost a month ago. It came as a shock to most, but in the end they were just happy that the bubbly and fun-loving girl had finally found a family member that she had yearned for so long. Other than being Naruko's brother, not much was known about the boy…

"What do you mean?" Kurenai pressed again, "Jōnin-senseis are only allow three students in a cell; yours is no different. So why were you given a _fourth _student?"

"Because _I_ made it so." Hiruzen stated, stunning the assembly. "And yes, he is Kakashi's student in name only, since he is the boy's handler — the boy operates by himself most of the time with supervision, since he is in an independent cell."

A shocked silence ensued. The Hokage had just stated that the boy was in an independent cell, a very rare situation in which the Genin's skills were too highly advanced, even by Genin standards. The only other one that held that honor in recent memory had been Uchiha Itachi…

"A-An independent cell?" Asuma breathed, his tone coloring in disbelief. "Fa—Hokage-sama, is the boy really that strong?"

The old Kage nodded with a small smile.

"Of course he is, and I can vouch for him." Kakashi supplied succinctly, "If you don't believe me, then suit yourself. Just don't come complaining to me when your team gets eliminated rather early by the boy — he is extraordinary, let me tell you."

Hiruzen chuckled softly, causing all heads to turn to him. He waved them off with a small motion of his hand. As some of the people present pestered the silver head for more information on the mysterious blonde, other teams had also been nominated.

Once the teams had been announced, Hiruzen stood, turning to face his audience. "Now, are there anymore—"

He didn't finish his question, as a green blur shot out from the doorway with a shout of "DYNAMIC ENTRY!" materializing as one Maito Gai in his trademark nice-guy pose, teeth sparkle and all.

"I, the Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha, hereby nominate Team Nine in this youthful endeavor!"

Everyone sweat dropped at the eccentric man's antics, already used to the man's behavior. Hiruzen chuckled as he faced the man, giving his consent. The green spandex wearing Jōnin turned towards Kakashi, who had his nose buried in his book.

"Kakashi! My eternal rival! I cannot wait to pit my students against yours to prove which one of us is the most youthful in our teachings!" He declared energetically.

Kakashi looked up from his book.

"Hmm? You say something, Gai?" he asked.

"Gah! You and your cool-hip attitude Kakashi! That is why you are my eternal rival!" Gai said, anime tears streaming down his face as he slapped Kakashi's shoulder.

Hiruzen chuckled at his subordinate's antics, already used to them, and in his opinion it made Konoha great in his eyes. This year's Chūnin Exams were going to be interesting indeed.

_'__And, it'll be even more interesting to see how you do in the exams, Naruto-kun my boy.'_ He thought, eagerly looking forward to the boy's show of strength in the coming weeks. _'And I think is about time my old teammates know about your origins — both you and Naruko-chan's. Kami knows what Danzō would say to them that could get you two in trouble… '_

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

**And we are done people!**

**Another chapter for you guys! What do you think about my explanation on the timelines thinga-ma-jig? It's my answer to the flamers who kept yelling at me to use OP Naruto — Hiraishin and Rasengan one-two punch combo. If it were that simple, then this fic would've ended at the fifteenth chapter. I ****_so_**** do not want such a short fic — it's no fun, unless is semi-serious. **

**And for the Uzumaki Regeneration? I borrowed it from Twin Silver Dragon's Lemon-fic NarutoXNaruko **'Namikaze's Rebirth'**. It fits my plan of a kid born without the abnormalities normally seen when an incestuous relationship results in a child. So, in short, I made NarutoXNaruko Incest COMPLETELY legal as their Uzumaki blood allows them to. Haha! Screw you flamers!**

**Don't worry about the vagueness of the Uzumaki Regeneration and Vitality — I'll explain more in depth when I get Tsunade into the fold, so please be patient until then. Irregular updates are common for me during this month — _especially _this month. *cough* Star Wars *cough*.**

**As for the movies, I'm getting a lot of votes for Road to Ninja, The Lost Tower, and Ninja Clash in the Land Of Snow. The rest of the movies the guys I've been in contact with through PMs suggested that I go with the flow — only include them when appropriate or when the storyline overlaps with some events in the movie.**

**Okay, that's all for me right now. Enjoy the latest instalment of Destiny Rebirth! Check out my profile for the forum link, hope to see you all soon!**

**This is HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE!**


	14. Chūnin Exams - Part One!

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Fourteen: Chūnin Exams – Part One!**

* * *

**"****Madara-sama…"** The baritone voice of Akatsuki's greatest spymaster said.

"… What is it Zetsu?" another voice with a less deeper note asked, though just as darkly, the burning red of the Sharingan shining through the eye hole of the figure's orange swirl mask.

Across from him, a Venus flytrap-like, half-white, half-black man hummed in thought as he phased out of the earth.

"It seems that during one of our patrols, we have encountered —" the white half began in a cheerful tone.

**"— ****an anomaly**." The black half continued.

The masked man hummed, intrigued. "Oh? How so?" he asked. The plant-like being wasn't dubbed their organization's greatest spy for no reason, and any information or discovery it had found out of place or suspicious were subject to immediate scrutiny and possible action.

"**It seems that the Kyūbi Jinchuriki —**"

"— has an older brother figure, a distant cousin."

"**But according to our observations —**"

"— he greatly resembles the Yondaime Hokage, and we have reason to believe that he is in fact —"

"— **the Yondaime's son.**" The black half finished.

The masked man said nothing for a very long moment, but Zetsu could feel the man's rage bubbling through every single pore of his being.

"And how exactly," he began tersely, "is this possible? If I remember correctly, the Yondaime only had one child, not two. I was there when she was born."

How could he forget? After all, he had been the one who held her hostage against her own father, and then tried to kill her in the process. All of that mattered little to him, however, as do most things.

All that mattered was the plan.

"Apparently, by our guesses, the Yondaime's wife did not die as early as we predicted—"

"**— ****and managed to give birth to another brat — a twin — when the Kyūbi was extracted —**"

"— and his existence was kept a tight lipped secret by the Sandaime Hokage…"

"Until now…" Madara concluded, narrowing his visible eye. "Even in death, you always find ways to meddle with my plans, Minato…"

This was surprising, and distressing news indeed.

Madara, or rather Tobi, frowned behind his mask. If the Yondaime had more than one child on that fateful night, it could potentially jeopardize their well laid plans. When he had heard that Kushina was pregnant, he had thought for sure she was carrying only one child — the girl.

He shook his head in dismissal.

Even if the existence of the boy was unexpected, it wouldn't affect the plan in the slightest. Besides, if they were to take into account every single irregularity that sprung up unannounced, they would be bogged down and delayed — something that they couldn't afford.

Turning to look at the plant-like man, Tobi leveled him with a hard gaze.

"No matter," he began, "we will proceed as planned. The existence of the boy won't change what has already been set into motion. Nothing will stand in my way — the Infinite Tsukuyomi Plan will be realized. Zetsu, ignore the Kyūbi Jinchuriki for now. I want you to scout out the other eight. Inform Pain and Konan to continue gathering our resources while you continue your search."

"Yes —"

**"— ****Madara-sama.**"

And with that parting shot, Tobi vanished in a swirling black vortex, seemingly consumed by his Sharingan.

Zetsu, still partly merged with the ground beneath, sat motionlessly for a moment.

"**There is something amiss here,**" the black half said, "**the Yondaime's wife shouldn't be carrying twins.**"

"But she was; the boy is proof of that." The white half argued, "There is also a chance that he didn't know about his heritage or his sister's 'condition' as the Kyūbi Jinchuriki."

The black half paused, glowing pupil-less yellow eye gleaming in the darkness. "**Perhaps.**"

Black Zetsu wasn't convinced. It had spent eons planning for this very moment in time, the time for its mother's rebirth. All the machinations, all the blackmailing, fake evidences, the Uchiha and Senju rivalry — all of them would ultimately culminate with the death of the World and its mother's revival.

After all these years, through all its cunning and careful planning, it had convinced itself that it was omnipotent — its victory unquestioned and absolute.

Up until now, all of its plans were going exactly as how it had foreseen them. What irked it was that it had failed to foresee the existence of the son of the Yondaime, brother to the Kyūbi Jinchuriki.

But, as Tobi had said, one boy couldn't change what was already in motion.

"**No matter, we have more important things to deal with.**" It said with certainty, "**We'll keep a close watch on the boy. Even if he ****_does_**** prove to be an obstacle in the near future, it is of no consequence. No matter how strong he becomes, nothing will change.**"

"As you say." The white half murmured as the body they shared disappeared into the ground, vanishing without a trace.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

The midday sun was already beating down on the village when Naruto and Naruko walked down the path leading to Team Seven's training grounds. Naruko remembered that Kakashi wanted to meet up with his team at one in the afternoon.

Naruto had a pretty good idea about what the silver haired man wanted, and since Kakashi technically was his sensei, he figured he should join in as well.

After the morning's emotional moment, the Uzumaki siblings went home to put away Naruko's new clothes before heading out once more. Throughout Naruto's entire ordeal, Naruko never left his side, holding onto his hand comfortingly as she led her brother through the village. He was grateful to her for that, and had promised to explain everything to her when he was ready.

Naruto closed his eyes, a calm smile on his lips. He had accepted that he was no longer in his own time, in his own dimension. He was here, in another realm, trying to save it from the coming calamity that his own world faced.

He had accepted his mistakes — his failures. And he chose to honor the people that had sacrificed everything for him by protecting the new dimension he was in.

It helped that he had to protect the most precious person in his life in this new world.

And, vowing once more, he would _not_ fail or die trying — again. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that, he silently mused.

Naruto paused in his thoughts as he looked up to the sky, frowning as he did. Everything that had happened so far had gone just as it did the first time around. Thankfully the timeline hadn't been severely tampered with, so far as he could tell. Heaven knows that Kami would smite him if he screwed up.

But, there was something off, like he had forgotten something important.

He was broken out of his musings when his sister gently nudged him through their bond. Turning to look at her, he saw Naruko looking at him in concern, violet eyes locked with his own cerulean ones. Shaking his head slightly, he grinned lightly at her.

"I'm fine." He said, "Just thinking, that's all."

"Care to share your thoughts?" Naruko asked, head tilted to the side, eyes still filled with concern. "Whenever you're thinking hard about something, it can't be good. I've learned that from experience, Onii-chan."

Naruto rolled his eyes at his sister's teasing, causing her to giggle.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Naruko-chan." He chuckled, before a look of confusion appeared on his face. "But seriously though, I keep getting the feeling that I'm forgetting something — or _someone_ important. It's at the edge of my mind but I can't seem to put a finger on it…"

Naruko started in alarm. What did he forget? If it was anything or anyone important… she shivered at the repercussions.

"What is it, Onii-chan?" she asked. "If it's something important…"

Naruto shook his head negatively. "No, I don't believe it's _that_ important, but still…"

Then, at that moment out of the corner of his peripherals, Naruto saw something that his mind immediately connected the dots. Realization dawning on his features, he chuckled heartily which slowly collapsed into laughter. _How_ had he forgotten about _him?_

Seeing her brother suddenly chuckling and then laughing, Naruko couldn't help but be curious.

"Onii-chan, what's…?" she began, only to stop when a still chuckling Naruto pointed behind her, causing her to turn around in curiosity.

Naruko couldn't help but giggle as well, shaking her head in exasperation as she took in the scene before her.

Behind her, sticking out like a sore thumb in the middle of the alley, was a fairly large box with two eye holes that was colored like a rock. When the Uzumaki siblings had stopped moving, the box comically stopped moving as well.

There was only one person in Naruko's memory that could've done this.

"Konohamaru-kun," She called out, "rocks and boulders are not shaped like that — come out please."

A loud groan of frustration was heard after she had said that, before an explosion of dust and smoke came from the box, along with several coughing sounds.

"Ugh, I think we used too much gunpowder…" a young boy coughed.

"I told you not to use too much of it, Udon!" a young girl's voice admonished the first speaker.

Once the smoke cleared, the distinctive long blue scarf of one Sarutobi Konohamaru was revealed, along with two other kids his age. A bespectacled boy with short brown hair, brown eyes and what looked like a booger hanging from his nose, and a girl with orange hair tied into two elaborate pigtails.

Gaining their bearings, the three kids turned to look at Naruko, who was giggling. Naruto was hiding his amused smirk behind a fist, chuckling as he did.

"Ara, Konohamaru-kun," Naruko began, "seems like you've found yourself some new friends — care to introduce them to me?"

Suddenly, much to Naruto's amusement, a strange background descended behind the three kids, startling Naruko who wasn't prepared in the slightest.

Striking a pose, the girl stepped forward first, shouting. "I'm Moegi, the feistiest kunoichi in Konoha!"

"And I'm Udon!" the boy announced, stopping right beside the aforementioned Moegi, "The Math Wizard of Konoha!"

"And I'm Konohamaru, the future Hokage!" said boy shouted, taking position in between his two friends.

"And we're the Konohamaru Corps!" they shouted together, explosions of confetti mysteriously going off behind them.

Having already had enough and deciding that he couldn't take any more of this, Naruto immediately burst out laughing, holding his sides as he did, tears of mirth forming in his eyes. He couldn't help it — the scene before him was just as hilarious as it was the first time around.

Naruko laughed awkwardly, a small sweat drop hanging from her head. Honestly, she shouldn't be surprised that the grandson of the Sandaime would act this way. It reminded her a little of how her brother acted when he was younger in his memories…

Noticing the blue strip of cloth wrapped around the heads of the boys like a headband and another wrapped around the girl's neck — like hers, Naruko smiled.

"It's nice to meet you too, Moegi-chan, Udon-kun." She said, "And it's been awhile, Kono-kun. How are you?"

Konohamaru just smiled widely, vigorously nodding his head.

"I've been great, Nee-chan!" he said, "Ebisu-sensei's been teaching us a lot of cool stuff! Oh, and he's making us work _really_ hard too!"

The blonde beauty nodded. "That's good to hear!"

Konohamaru then noticed the blonde boy that was with Naruko, and he couldn't help but be curious about him.

"Ano Nee-chan," he began, "who's that?"

Naruto, who had long since sobered up and was watching the exchange with a small smile, perked up at the boy's question. Noting the young boy's question, Naruko smiled as she reached back and dragged her brother to her side, clinging to him as she did.

"Oh, I almost forgot." She said sheepishly, "Konohamaru Corps, meet Uzumaki Naruto, my Onii-chan! Onii-chan, this is Sarutobi Konohamaru — the Sandaime's grandson and his friends!"

Naruto gave a jaunty wave, a wide grin on his face.

"Yo, Konohamaru," he said, "Nice to finally meet you."

The three kids were stunned. They had heard rumors about their favorite sister figure having found a long lost relative, but actually seeing the young man in person was a totally different experience than just hearing about him.

Konohamaru was the first to smile back, waving as he did. "Nice to meet you too, Naruto-san!" he said, "Say… can I call you Nii-san?"

"Of course you can," Naruto replied without hesitation, a small feeling of nostalgia washing over him. "I would be honored."

"Yatta!" the young boy cheered, jumping in the air enthusiastically. "I got a new Nii-san!"

Naruto laughed as he stared longingly at the young boy. How long has it been when he had first met the boy when the young Sarutobi wanted to defeat his grandfather to become Hokage so that everyone would respect him? How long has it been when he took the boy in as his apprentice, teaching him everything he knew?

Seeing his one-time apprentice again, Naruto couldn't help but be reminded of the darker times of his past life. Even if he had accepted them, his mistakes would follow him to his grave — a feeling he knew all too well.

A gentle nudge through the bond he shared with his sister snapped him out his stupor, and the soft voice of his sister reverberated through the bond.

_– __Onii-chan, you okay? –_ her voice asked.

_– __Yeah… I'm fine. – _he replied. _– Just… thinking about my own world's Konohamaru, you know? He's just the same as I remembered him… –_

Already knowing where the conversation was heading, Naruko knew what she had to say to quell his fears.

_– __You'll save them, Onii-chan. – _she said with conviction. _– And I'll be right by your side, every step of the way. –_

_– __Thank you… – _Naruto mentally said, a feeling of warmth in his chest. This was the girl that wanted to make him happy, to stand by his side when no one else would. This girl…

She was amazing.

"Ne, ne Naruto-nii-san!" Konohamaru suddenly said, "Do you have a girlfriend!?" he asked bluntly, making Moegi giggle while Udon made gagging noises in the background.

Naruto didn't know if it was the absurdness of the question or the abrupt way the young Sarutobi had asked him, but the blonde found himself at a loss for words as he flushed — dumfounded embarrassment clear on his features. Rubbing the back of his head, he chuckled awkwardly, shaking his head no.

Seeing his shaking head, Konohamaru pouted. "Aww, that's too bad. It'll be fun if you had one, and if you and Nee-chan weren't related, I'd say you two would—"

"Don't finish that sentence!" a red-faced Naruko shouted as she clamped the boy's mouth shut, making Moegi giggle harder. "You shouldn't be talking about these kinds of things at your age Kono-kun!"

A muffled response came from him as Konohamaru comically waved his arms around in protest.

Meanwhile, Naruto sighed in amusement at his sister's antics, which were becoming more and more pronounced the more time he spent with her. Anything and everything regarding about her love-life were immediately quashed or shot down, sometimes comically by the blonde beauty — especially about how compatible she and Naruto were if they were a couple.

Come to think of it, these kinds of reactions from the people they know seemed to be happening quite often lately. Naruto had lost count of the number of times Ayame had gushed about how cute they were together, and about how Teuchi had so _casually_ commented about how he wouldn't let any other boy except for Naruto to come near their favorite customer.

Kami, those times were _really_ awkward and embarrassing.

It didn't help that he himself had finally come to slowly realize his own feelings, and was finding hard _not_ to notice the normally subtle motions that Naruko made, how the sunlight reflected off her skin that made her look ethereal, how she tucked a loose strand of golden hair behind her ear…

He was pulled from his own admittedly uncomfortable musings when Konohamaru finally pulled himself away from Naruko's grasp, laughing as he did, making said girl pout cutely.

"Oh well, it can't be helped." the boy began, "But seriously though Nii-san, Naruko-nee-chan is one of the best looking girls in the village. She's definitely better than that other girl that's hanging around that Uchiha all day — you know the one with the big forehead and pink hair, what's her name?"

Naruto sighed as he palmed his forehead. _'Damn it, Konohamaru… you always get yourself into trouble with your mouth…'_ he thought with a tinge of irony as he braced himself for what was about to happen next, if memory served him right.

Naruko, who was oblivious to what was about to happen, blushed cherry red at the young boy's comments as she averted her eyes away from her brother, embarrassed.

Shrugging, Konohamaru was about to ask his friends about the girl he had mentioned when they all heard the sound of cracking knuckles, and grinding teeth. Slowly turning towards the source of the noise, the three kids audibly gulped when a fuming Haruno Sakura stood in front of them, a large tick mark on her forehead and eyes that promised pain and suffering.

Naruko leaned towards them, a worried look on her face.

"If you meant her," she began. "I'd suggest running... immediately."

The Konohamaru Corps nodded slowly, before bolting from the scene, actually leaving their scared looking afterimages in their wake. Sakura tore down the street after them, shouting curses their way as Naruto and Naruko followed after them to make sure no one gets hurt on the pink haired girl's warpath.

"Damn it, it's the same as last time!" Naruto said as he ran after the rabid banshee.

Naruko made an irritated sound in her throat. "You could've said that sooner, Onii-chan!"

"Sorry…!" he called back.

The Uzumaki siblings saw the Konohamaru Corps take a turn down an alley, Sakura hot on their heels, before Konohamaru's yelp echoed from the alley, followed by a gruff voice.

"Hey! Watch it, brat!"

Sharing a look of concern with her brother, Naruko dashed on ahead, turning into the alley before finally stopping beside a panting Sakura. The scene that was unfolding in front of her eyes made the blonde beauty pause, a feeling of anger rising in the pit of her stomach, enough to completely ignore the arrival of her brother who stopped just behind her.

Konohamaru was being held by the front of his shirt, his short legs kicking wildly in the air in a futile attempt to free himself from his assailant.

Naruto narrowed his cerulean eyes at the familiar forms of Temari no Sabaku and Kankurō no Sabaku. They were exactly how he remembered them to be, with Kankurō currently threatening Konohamaru yet again.

"Kankurō, we don't have time for this!" Temari said with irritation, tapping her foot impatiently.

Kankurō turned back towards his sister. "Come on Temari! He ran into me! He has to apologize, or I'm going to start getting violent on this little pipsqueak." He said, before turning back towards his hostage. "So… what's it gonna be, brat?"

He was about to say further, when someone tapped his shoulder. Thinking it was Temari and deciding to ignore it, Kankurō wasn't prepared in the least when he was suddenly pulled by the back of his shirt — "W-What?!" he had shouted — inadvertently releasing Konohamaru in the process, before being swiftly slammed into the ground with his hands held behind his back. He struggled for a moment before the feeling of a knee between his shoulder blades stopped him.

Temari, who had already prepared to leap into action when she saw her brother getting manhandled, paused when she felt the tip of a kunai held at her throat. Glancing behind her, she was shocked to find Naruto holding the kunai. She hadn't even seen him move!

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the blonde boy began, a neutral expression on his face. "I could've killed you in fifteen different ways in the time you spent preparing to jump to his aid — _stand down_." He stated the last two words in a serious voice.

Seeing no other alternative, Temari reluctantly obeyed.

Turning her gaze towards her brother, she was stunned yet again to see the one holding down the boy was the blonde girl from earlier. Just like the blonde boy, she hadn't even seen her move.

_'__These two Konoha shinobi…' _Temari thought, narrowing her eyes. _'They're dangerous —_ _very_ _dangerous. Father never told us that this new generation of Konoha Genin was this strong.'_

Kankuro growled as he struggled on the ground. He had no idea who had managed to get the drop on him, but he'll be damned if he was going to stay quiet.

"Hey! Get off me!" he shouted.

"Ara, you're still talking?" Naruko began, shocking Kankurō. A _girl_ had caught him off guard?! "Good — I would hate to see you fall silent after talking so big and threatening our Sandaime Hokage's grandson."

Kankurō turned slightly, just enough to see the attractive blonde girl from before holding him down skillfully. The girl's violet orbs were cold and steely, the neutral glare sending shivers up the boy's spine. His pride may be hurt a little after being bested by a girl, but he wasn't stupid. He knew when he was beat.

Naruko continued holding the boy down as she turned her gaze towards Konohamaru, who looked a bit shaken but otherwise unharmed. She smiled at him reassuringly.

"You okay, Kono-kun?"

"Yeah, thanks Boss-Lady." Konohamaru replied with a grimace.

"Good."

Releasing her hold on her captive, she stood up and walked back to stand beside Sakura, who was watching the scene with wide, awestruck eyes. Naruto, seeing his sister backing down, released his own captive as well and jumped back to land beside Naruko, eying the two arrivals.

Kankurō growled as he stood, hands reaching back to the bundle on his back, preparing to unravel at a moment's notice. Temari also had her hands on her war fan, ready to unfurl it fully to blow the Uzumakis away.

"You're not making a good impression on yourself," Naruto began, shaking his head. "Stand down or face the consequences of your foolish actions and risk an all-out war with your village and ours."

"Want to try me, punk?" Kankurō goaded.

"Wait!" Sakura yelled, pointing at the two newcomers. "Your headbands — you're from Sunagakure! Are you here for the Chūnin Exams?"

"And what if we are?" Kankurō shot back.

Naruko sighed dramatically. "Then you're not showing the proper professionalism as representatives of your home village. Besides, I don't think he likes what you're doing very much…" she supplied succinctly, nodding at something behind them.

Behind the two Suna shinobi, standing upside down on a tree branch, was a red haired boy with a huge, sand colored gourd on his back. Once Temari and Kankurō saw them, they flinched in fear, which didn't go unnoticed by Naruto and Naruko.

The boy disappeared in a swirl of sand, reappearing behind the two taller shinobi who visibly inched away. Naruko couldn't blame them — the bloodlust that was emanating from the boy was nauseating.

"Kankurō…" the boy said in an emotionless voice, "You're a disgrace to our village."

"B-But G-Gaara, they started it…" Kankurō tried to protest, but a glare from the younger boy shut him up.

"Shut up or I'll kill you." the newly named Gaara said mercilessly.

"H-Hai…"

Grunting, Gaara turned to look at the Uzumaki siblings. He bowed his head slightly. "Forgive my brother."

Naruto nodded. "Don't worry about it. As long as he respects the rules of our village, then we won't have a problem. Just ask him to keep his temper in check." He added with a smirk, causing said boy to bristle in anger.

"Of course." Gaara said, turning towards his siblings. "Temari, Kankurō — we're leaving."

As the three Sand Siblings turned to walk away, Gaara paused as he glanced back. "You two — what are your names?" he asked.

There was a small pause.

"I guess there's no harm in telling you," Naruto stated calmly. "Uzumaki Naruto."

"Uzumaki Naruko," Naruko said curtly.

Gaara nodded, satisfied.

"I will enjoy killing you when the time comes…" and with that parting shot, they left, leaving three scared young children, one frightened girl and two siblings alone.

Naruto sighed as he stared in the direction where the Sand Siblings had went, frowning as he did. Gaara was still as unstable as ever, and Temari and Kankurō were still just as scared of their little brother. Looking at Naruko, he wasn't surprised to find the girl's frown on her lovely features, for she too knew just how much the red haired boy was suffering.

Turning to look at a distressing Sakura, Naruto inclined his head at her.

"Sakura, could you please take Konohamaru and his friends back to the Academy? We'll be with you shortly." He said.

Sakura nodded wordlessly, leading the Konohamaru Corps away. Normally, she would've been pissed if someone ordered her around like that. But that someone right now was Uzumaki Naruto, the genin that faced down an A-rank missing-nin and won. She would have to be completely stupid or ignorant to go against someone like him. Besides, she respected Naruko too much to do anything negative anyway.

Once they were out of earshot, Naruto sighed. "I guess I don't need to mention that Gaara is holding Shukaku?" he asked.

"No, you don't." Naruko said hoarsely, covering her mouth with her hands, struggling to prevent herself from breaking down in tears. "Kami-sama… his eyes — they were so… _dead._"

Naruto nodded in sympathy, sharing the girl's sadness. Reaching out, he wrapped an arm around Naruko's shoulders, hugging her to him to offer her comfort.

"That's why we need to help him," he stated strongly. "In any way we can."

Naruko just nodded into his chest.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

"Ah, Naruto, Naruko, glad you could make it." Kakashi said cheerfully from the top of the tori gate decorating the bridge of Training Ground Seven as the Uzumaki siblings entered the training grounds. "You're a bit later than usual. What kept you two?"

"You're the one to talk, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto replied with a roll of his eyes, "We're just following your example. It's not our fault when our sensei arrives three hours later than the appointed time."

The silver haired jōnin just chuckled, conceding to the blonde's point.

Sakura who was standing some ways to the side sighed in exasperation, although a small grin pulled on her lips. Sasuke remained silent, standing in the middle of the bridge while leaning over side, looking over the horizon though a small smirk was on his lips as well.

"Now, as to why I called you here," Kakashi said, producing several papers from his utility pouch after jumping down from his perch. "I've nominated you guys in the upcoming Chūnin Exams. These are the consent forms, and need I remind you guys that this is purely voluntary — you can wait until next year or take your chances."

Naruto mentally snorted in amusement. The answer was fairly obvious: they would take this exam, no matter what.

Sasuke's inflated ego aside, the other members of Team Seven have their own reasons for participating. Naruto had already asked them beforehand, and he couldn't help but be contented by their answers.

Sakura, who had become more confident and competent as both a girl and a kunoichi ever since Naruko snapped her out of her fangirl daze, wanted to participate to prove to her teammates that she wasn't the weak link — a liability. She wanted to prove that she had what it took to become stronger, not just for her sake, but for the sake of her teammates as well.

Naruko's reason was a bit more personal.

In addition to making it as a chūnin of Konoha, there was also another reason: to prove to him that his faith in her was not misplaced. The main reason she wanted to become stronger, was to one day stand by his side as an equal — a partner. She held no illusions that she was anywhere near Naruto's level of power, even if he was suppressing it, but she would not let something as trivial as that discourage her from her new goal: to stand by his side, come hell or high water.

Becoming Hokage had become secondary ever since he came into her life, she had told him. Her main goal at the moment was to be able to become strong so she could proudly walk alongside him, down the path he had chosen.

Even now, as Naruto thought back on her words, a familiar feeling of warmth blossomed in his chest — the same kind he had that morning when Naruko had promised to never leave his side, the kind that makes him want to laugh and shout at the same time, screaming to the heavens about how _happy_ he was feeling.

Words alone couldn't even begin to describe the intense feeling of _love_ and _peace_ he was feeling at the moment, and he couldn't stop the silly grin that was currently on his lips.

"Seeing as our resident Casanova is grinning for no reason, I'd say you guys are going to take these exams?" Kakashi's voice drawled out in amusement, snapping Naruto out of his musings.

Narrowing his eyes, he scowled at the eye smiling jōnin, ignoring the giggling coming from his sister.

"That is _so_ uncalled for, Kakashi-sensei." He said tersely.

"Anyway," Kakashi continued, ignoring Naruto completely. "I'll leave the forms to you then. If you're in, come to the Academy at 8 o'clock sharp and look for room 301 — well, see you."

With that parting shot, Kakashi gave a small wave before disappearing in a puff of smoke, leaving the four genin alone.

Sasuke sighed, pocketing the form before turning around to leave. Pausing, he turned slightly to look at his teammates.

"I'll meet up with you guys at the Academy tomorrow," he began, a small smirk on his lips, though it's not out of smugness Naruto noticed. "Don't be late. I'd hate for us to be disqualified because we couldn't wake up." With that, he walked off, heading home.

With a small wave of her own, Sakura also bid them goodbye and headed home, intent on getting as much rest as possible for tomorrow's test. Naruko smiled as she waved back at the retreating figure of the pink haired girl.

She turned to look at her brother. Holding out a hand for him to take, she smiled warmly.

"Let's go home, Onii-chan." She said.

Naruto nodded as he took her offered hand, smiling as he did. "Hai."

As the two siblings headed home, Naruto could not help but think about the events that were about to happen in the coming weeks. The Chūnin Exams, the Suna-Oto Invasion, Gaara, Orochimaru…

Naruto sighed inwardly. The blonde didn't know what he _could_ change during this time and still keep within the timeline. He still wanted to save the Sandaime, he still wanted to save Gaara, and he still wanted to save _Sasuke_…

Sasuke. The name of the man that Naruto would go to the ends of the earth to save from his cursed abyss.

But that was _his_ Sasuke, not this Sasuke that wanted to kill him back at the Academy.

That was _his_ Sasuke, not this Sasuke that saw Naruko as a trophy to be won and not a person.

That was _his_ Sasuke, not this Sasuke whose mental state was even more fragile than the Sasuke he had known, and the blonde knew in his heart that this Sasuke wouldn't hesitate to kill for power.

That was _his dimension's_ Sasuke.

Naruto mentally frowned as he contemplated on this new dilemma. He still wanted to try to save the Uchiha Clan if he could, but Sasuke's sudden unstable behavior might be the cause of space-time ripples — irregularities that manifested when Naruto was thrown into this dimension by Kami.

He paled. The possibility of him actually having to permanently stop the man he wanted to save the most has become frighteningly _real_. If this Sasuke would not listen to reason, then Naruto would be forced to… to…

Naruto mentally shook his head, not wanting to think about what would happen if it _does_ happen. He could only pray to Kami (he had been doing that since being given a second chance), and hope time would tell…

He really hoped that he wouldn't be forced to do the unthinkable.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

_"__You…" a familiar voice said, rising in volume as it finally shouted. "will not come any closer to Baa-chan!"_

_Across from the boy, a white haired bespectacled young man, whose hitai-ate symbol was a single music note, laughed derisively, as if mocking the boy's very existence with his mirth. The man then levelled a glare at the boy, sneering in disgust. _

_"__Failures will always be failures — that is an undeniable fact!" the man shouted in disgust, "You can't defeat me. You have no skills, unlike Sasuke-kun…"_

_The boy panted as he shakily stood his ground, ignoring the man's words while holding a cross sign, molding whatever chakra he had left into his technique. A single clone came into existence beside him as the two faced their enemy._

_"__Little kids think life is so easy." The man said, "That's why they go on and on about their dreams. That's why—" _

_The man flipped out a kunai, before rushing at the boy._

_"—__they never give up!"_

_The boy gritted his teeth as the man came charging right at him, but he had already made his decision. He would stand his ground, and protect those that were dear to him._

_"__Naruto!" a woman's voice yelled from behind him — the woman he was protecting, who was kneeling on the ground in exhaustion and pain, "Get out of the way! You don't stand a chance against him! Kabuto's just as strong as Kakashi, if not more!"_

_"__You should listen to Tsunade if you know what's good for you!" the man — Kabuto shouted as he continued to close the distance._

_The woman — Tsunade, was already hysterical, as she shouted. "No! Get out of the way Naruto! No — watch out!"_

_"__Stupid boy!" the white haired man yelled, "You've just thrown it all away! Dreams don't come true when you're _dead_!"_

_The man lunged, heading straight for the boy's heart. _

_A splatter of blood was heard, then a crunch of someone gripping hard onto something. _

_Everyone looked on in astonishment as the boy — Naruto, held the offending appendage between his bleeding fingers, gripping the man's fist tightly. Blood dripped from the wound on his hand, but Naruto would not relent as he glared at the man._

_When Kabuto began to struggle, futilely trying to free himself from the boy's surprisingly strong grip, Naruto held his free hand to his side, curling his fingers inward with the palm open._

_He grinned._

_"__Until the day I become Hokage —" he began._

_"— __I will _not_ die!" the clone finished._

_"__Let's see how you dodge me this time!" the blonde shouted as his clone began molding the chakra in his palm, forming what would eventually become his most signature technique._

_With a roar, Naruto reared his free arm back, before thrusting it forward, right into Kabuto's stomach, roaring out the jutsu's name for the entire world to hear._

_"__**RASENGAN!**__"_

Naruko jolted upright from her slumber, panting and sweating profusely as the dream slowly faded from her mind. Taking several calm breaths to slow down her raging pulse, she looked around to find herself on her bed.

Closing her eyes as she hugged her knees to her chest, she sighed as she unconsciously straightened her blonde locks with her fingers _— _a habit when she was deep in thought or nervous.

The dream was about her brother when he was younger and still wearing orange it seemed. From the dream, she had deduced that the dream sequence was about the time when Naruto had first completed the Rasengan. The dream felt so real, as if she was right in the middle of the life-and-death situation — the standoff between Kabuto and her precious brother. And that woman he was protecting… Kabuto had called her Tsunade, didn't he? Could she really be the legendary Tsunade of the Sannin?

She snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to yelp out in fright at the sudden movement. Turning to the side, surprise filtered through her when she saw the worried expression of Naruto sitting beside her. How had he…?

Wait.

She had forgotten that she started sleeping with him on the same bed since coming back from Wave. The blonde beauty felt like slapping herself on the forehead for forgetting about that.

"You okay, Naru-chan?" Naruto asked gently, running a hand through her blonde locks, effectively calming her down. "You look kind of pale — bad dream?"

His response was a meek nod.

"It was about you…" Naruko began, hugging her knees closer to her chest. "When you fought that white haired guy… Kabuto, I think you called him."

Two things happened at once when she finished her sentence: Naruto gave a start eyes widening in shock, before he forgot he was on the edge of the bed, falling off the side with a painful thud. Naruko immediately jumped up, crawling over to the side and peered down at a pouting Naruto, rubbing his sore butt with a grimace.

"Ow…"

"Onii-chan, are you alright?!" Naruko asked frantically.

"Yeah, I'm alright," he replied with a small chuckle, pushing himself to stand. He turned back to look at his sister who was still on the bed, looking very much like the vulnerable girl she was. The look did not suit her, Naruto decided.

"So… what is it about Kabuto-teme?" he asked, a frown making its way to his features as he thought about Orochimaru's right-hand man.

Naruko nodded as she explained all that she could decipher from her weird dream about a small part of Naruto's life, and in perfect detail no less, much to his shock. If memory served him right, he only showed the relevant parts of his memory to her, not his _entire_ life story.

When they both consulted Kurama on this, the Kitsune Bijū shrugged.

**"****This may be one of the side effects of the bond you both share with each other, and me."** He explained, **"You both probably hadn't noticed, but the bond that binds the two of you has been growing stronger since you came back from the mission to Nami —** **my guess is the 'quality time' you've been sharing with one another was the cause." **he finished with a playful wiggle of his enormous eyebrows.

"Ha-ha, _very_ funny, Kurama." Naruto said sarcastically, though the flush on his cheeks somewhat lessened the desired effect.

Naruko just stayed silent, though her own blush had only gotten darker when Kurama decided to play matchmaker once more, which he did on a regular occasion. Though embarrassing at times, she nevertheless came to enjoy the Bijū's teasing nature.

**"****Anyway, all joking aside, shouldn't you two get going already?"** Kurama asked.

The Uzumaki siblings blinked, before the memory of what they were supposed to do today came onto the forefront of their minds. The two of them snapped out of their musings before they went about their morning routine, preparing for the important day ahead.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

The atmosphere of the Academy building was just as crowded and lively as it did the first time around. Genin hopefuls from all across the Elemental Nations were already there, moving with their teams through the main entrance.

Naruto looked around as he held onto Naruko's hand as he led her through the crowd to find Team 7. He swore that this year's participants were even greater in number than the first time around, and he could not help but feel worried. If something as simple as the number of Chūnin Exam participants was changed by his actions, he would bet his love for ramen that Black Zetsu had picked up on it as well.

Either the thing was staying low, or it dismissed the small change as a minor disturbance.

He was betting heavily on the latter.

"Ah, there you are!" Sakura said with smile as she waved the two of them over at the Academy gates. Beside her was Sasuke, acting nonchalant and neutral as ever with his hands in his pockets. "You're just in time! We thought you're going to pull a Kakashi-sensei on us again!"

Naruto snorted in amusement. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I happen to like girls my own age." He said cheekily, causing Sakura and Naruko to snicker while Sasuke just smirked.

It had become something of a running joke amongst Team Seven about their sensei's pedophilic tendencies, much to Naruto's unending amusement. He felt that he should feel bad for the silver-haired jōnin, but after the man had tried to pull Sennen Goroshi during the bell test — on his sister no less, he was finding it very hard not to.

"Now that everyone's here, let's get inside." Naruko chirped, dragging Naruto in followed closely by Sakura and Sasuke.

Once inside, the small group went up a flight of stairs to the second floor. The first thing that greeted them when they reacehd the second floor was a small crowd of Genin who were standing in front of a door labelled '301' — an obvious genjutsu for room '301' was on the third floor, not the second.

In front of the doors, were two young boys, one wearing a blue bandanna and another with spiky brown hair with two swords on his back. They were making a scene in front of the crowd, haughtily barring passage to the room beyond.

Naruto sighed, grinning as he did. _– Ah, Izumo and Kotetsu. Forgot about those two. –_ he mentally said, gaining Naruko's attention as she gazed at him questioningly, head tilted cutely to one side.

_–_ _Onii-chan? –_

_–_ _It's nothing Naruko-chan, don't worry. Just… remembering. – _he said back, sending a warm nudge through the bond. _– Izumo and Kotetsu were doing the same thing they did the first time around. It's quite funny to watch now that I think about it… –_

Hearing her brother's own mock-confused tone in her mind caused Naruko to giggle. Leave it to Naruto to find amusement at things that he hadn't paid attention before when he was younger. It was like watching a young boy getting excited about finding a long lost toy, or in this case, his memories.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard someone cry out in surprise. Turning her head in the direction of where the sound originated, she was surprised to see the two Genin from before accosting a young boy in green spandex who was on the floor who was being held up by a bun haired girl wearing a Chinese styled shirt. The two Genin from before were sneering at the two of them.

Obviously, they were the ones who pushed the spandex wearing boy.

"Leave him alone, you jerks!" the girl cried out.

"We're doing you a favor, little girl." The one in the bandana said smugly. "The Exams are not for weaklings!"

The other one nodded along. "Yeah! Although we may not look like it, but we've taken this exam four times already! That should tell you how tough this is. If you're not careful, you can die!" he said loudly.

Naruko took one look at the labelling on the door before she pivoted on her heel, heading towards the stairs. Sakura seemed to notice this as well as she too went after her blonde-haired teammate. Sasuke took notice as well, Sharingan blazing a furious red and he opened his mouth, intending to call out on the two boys' bluff—

Only to be yanked back by the back of his shirt and dragged towards the stairs, cutting off his words. Looking over his shoulder, annoyance clear on his features, he was slightly angry to find Naruto pulling him along.

"What the hell are you doing, dobe?" he asked angrily.

"What do you think,_ princess_?" the blonde replied calmly, an eyebrow raised. "Those two are obviously proctors in Henge — to root out the weaker teams whilst letting the better ones through. If they can't even see through such a simple genjutsu, then they are not even worthy of participating. Understand?"

"Whatever." Sasuke said gruffly, breaking out from Naruto's grasp before brushing past him.

Shaking his head, Naruto looked at the retreating back of the Last Uchiha, frowning in concern. The raven-haired boy may have mellowed out… somewhat, but he was still as arrogant and smug as ever. His pride and ego were still his greatest weaknesses, though no one other than Naruto would dare say it to his face.

Then there was also the fact that he _couldn't _interfere when Orochimaru branded Sasuke with the curse mark, or the 'Cursed Seal of Heaven' — Kami had said that was one of the things that were meant to happen, no matter what were his feelings on the matter.

He had begrudgingly accepted that reality. He may have accepted it, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Onii-chan?" Naruko called down to him from the top of the stairs. "Is there something wrong?"

Naruto shook his head, smiling reassuringly at her. He was about to reply when a loud voice called out from behind him, causing him to pause in his steps, forcing back a huge smile that was threatening to form on his lips.

He _knew_ that voice _anywhere_.

"You there, hold up!" the boy in green spandex from before called out, "Are you Uchiha Sasuke? The 'Rookie of Year' for this year's graduating class?"

Sasuke grunted, turning slightly to regard the weirdly dressed boy out of the corner of his eyes.

"Yes." He affirmed, "What is it to you?"

The boy in green slowly dropped into a taijutsu stance, a stance that Naruto knew all too well.

"I am Rock Lee! The Second Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha!" the newly named Lee said passionately, "And I challenge you, Uchiha Sasuke, to a spar — for I will finally prove to everyone that a genius of hard work can surpass a natural genius by birth!"

Sasuke only scoffed in response, eyes alight in smug amusement.

"Oh?" he drawled, his tone becoming condescending, the red of the Sharingan spinning wildly. "And what can a freak show like you do to me? You're not even worth my time fighting you... _but_, if you insist on being humiliated…"

He dropped down into his own taijutsu stance, hand making a taunting gesture.

Naruto sighed as the two boys immediately commenced their impromptu sparring session. Walking up beside his sister, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, making her look up at him with a slight frown — her worry and annoyance clear. Shaking his head, he mentally sent a warm nudge through their bond.

_– __Some things are meant to happen Naruko-chan. – _he said. _– Nothing can change that. –_

_– __I know, Onii-chan… – _she replied. _– But it's hard not to do anything when you know you can change it, you know? –_

_– __Yes, Naruko-chan – _he sighed mentally. –_ I know that feeling all too well. –_

Naruko just melted into his embrace even more, sighing in defeat but also in acceptance.

The spar ended like it did the first time around — with Sasuke's ass being handed to him on a silver platter. The green-clad taijutsu prodigy effortlessly defeated the fabled Last Uchiha, and Lee went on to explain just like the first time around about the weakness of predicting other people's moves using the Sharingan, saying that while his eyes can perceive it, his body was too slow to react.

Naruto mentally snickered along with Kurama.

Like before, and always will, one of his most enjoyable pastimes was watching a fuming and humiliated Uchiha Sasuke glaring holes into someone's head. That pompous, self-centered emo deserved it in Naruto's opinion.

Then, like the first time around, Maito Gai made his flashy appearance on the back of his tortoise summon, striking a ridiculous pose and generally causing the others around him to face-fault at the man's oddities.

They also discovered where Lee had copied his weird fashion sense from — the teacher-student pair could practically twins as far as appearances went.

After slugging Lee for provoking Sasuke into a spar, Gai's personality turned a one-eighty as he flashed his pearly whites, an unnatural sparkle shining from his teeth.

"Lee, my favorite pupil!" he called, "Even _if_ you have disobeyed my direct orders, your flames of youth burns brighter than ever before — challenging Sasuke-san to a spar was most certainly youthful, even when the timing was inappropriate!"

"Thank you Gai-sensei!" Lee shouted out enthusiastically.

"Lee!" Gai said with anime tears.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee replied, also in anime tears.

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

_'__Oh, crud…'_ Naruto thought as he quickly called out to his surrogate brother, already knowing what would happen next, and he would stop at nothing to spare his cute little sister from that fate.

_– __Kurama, forcibly pull Naruko-chan into our shared mindscape! – _he frantically said, _– I don't want her to get traumatized by two men hugging so… passionately! Bleh! –_

**"****Way ahead of you!"** Kurama shouted, and Naruto could clearly hear the tailed beast's frantic tone. **"Believe me, even a Bijū such as me would get traumatized by that… that ****_affront to the universe!_****"**

Naruko didn't know what just happened.

One moment, she was staring at the strange scene in front of her, the green spandex clad teacher and student rushing at each other with tears in their eyes; and in the next moment, she was in the familiar scenery of her shared mindscape with her brother. Blinking, she looked around the newly refurbished mindscape.

It had taken some doing, but through the combined efforts of both herself and her brother, they had overhauled the entire mindscape to better accommodate their surrogate brother. Instead of the usual damp sewer and the giant cage, rolling green hills and dense forests now dominate the mindscape for miles around. There was also a large lake at the foot of a small snowcapped mountain, where they would normally find the Kitsune, resting beside it whenever they were not in battle.

"W-What just happened?" she muttered to no one in particular.

"You have just been saved from a mental scarring of a lifetime." Naruto said, behind her, making her turn around to face the blonde boy. "Trust me — you'll thank me after this." He finished with a small shudder.

Gesturing for her to follow him, Naruto led her to the edge of the lake, motioning his hand towards it. Curiosity getting the better of her, she looked down. Much to her surprise, staring back at her from the water's surface was not her own like she expected, but a viewing mirror showing what both her and her brother's eyes were seeing in the physical realm.

As Naruko took one glance at what their physical bodies were seeing, she started paling multiple shades of white before abruptly looking away, covering her eyes while willing her mind to purge the horrid image she saw.

"Wha—" she gulped, taking several deep breaths. "W-What the _hell_ was that?!"

Naruto's only response was to sigh, shuddering as he did.

"_That_, Naruko-chan, is Bushy Brows Junior and Bushy Brows Senior doing their signature 'manly hug of youthfulness'…" he deadpanned, "And trust me, you've only seen the half of it — if it wasn't for Kurama pulling you in here, you would probably be scarred mentally for life…"

He shuddered in disgust once again. "…just like how I did…" he added quietly.

Somehow, the thought of her brother witnessing that… that _absurdity _made Naruko feel slightly guilty. Once again, her brother had protected her, just as he had promised.

Moving forward, she embraced him in a warm hug, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Onii-chan."

"Heh, no problem."

Another moment passed before they were pulled back into the real world; thankfully, the two hugging males had finally parted and went on their way; Gai to the Jōnin lounge most likely, and Lee back to his team. Both siblings breathed a collective sigh of relief before the turned to look at their companions.

To say they were stunned was an understatement; shell-shocked seemed to be the most appropriate term.

Both Sakura and Sasuke sported blank looks on their faces, features frozen in a mixture of shock and disgust. Sakura's eyes resembled sparkling dinner plates with her jaw hanging open, while Sasuke's eyes were wide-eyed and his posture unnaturally stiff.

The Uzumaki siblings could not blame them. After all, no one came out quite the same after experiencing such an event.

Well, maybe Naruto… but he's a unique exception.

"Come on you two," Naruto announced, snapping his fingers in front of the still frozen teens' faces. "We're getting late, and Kakashi-sensei is waiting for us. Let's go."

Sasuke was the first to recover from his shock, falling back into his usual demeanor, hands in his pockets and cool expression on his face. He trudged up the stairs in front of his team as Naruko gently pulled the still stunned pink-haired girl up the steps, slowly shaking her from her stupor, while Naruto followed a ways back behind them.

Once they reached their intended floor, Kakashi was already waiting for them, leaning against the wall beside the door labelled '301'. Pushing off the wall, he eye smiled at them as they stood in front of him.

"Glad to see you've all made it," he began good-naturedly. "If even one of you were to be absent, then I can't let you in… well, Naruto's a different case, but that's beside the point."

He gave a jaunty wave. "Well, you guys can go in now. Good luck everyone!" and with that parting shot, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto rolled his eyes at the man's cheerful, almost _too_ cheerful parting as he turned towards the door.

"Well," began, "At least he's confident."

Naruko giggled at the comment while Sakura smiled. Sasuke did not react in the slightest, maintaining the constant cool expression on his face.

Turning the knob, the three of them followed Naruto as they entered the room.

Once inside, the sight of hundreds of other Genin hopefuls from across the Elemental Continent greeted them. Not even five steps into the room, Sasuke was immediately glomped from behind by Ino, who was waiting for him just by the door with Team 10. Shikamaru sported a bored expression while Chōji was munching on a bag of chips.

Sakura quickly started berating the platinum blonde-haired Yamanaka girl, who was hanging on Sasuke's back, much to his annoyance. However, unlike the first time around, there was a slight difference.

Instead of screeching like a banshee at her rival, Sakura only resorted to speaking in normal tones — one that Naruto could fondly remember as being her stern lecturing tone in the future. It seemed that Naruko's 'intervention' had worked wonders on the Haruno girl, as she had started to take her role as a kunoichi seriously.

Another burst of pride swelled within him at his sister, one that was immediately felt by the blonde haired beauty, who turned to him and smiled beautifully. Feeling his face starting to heat up a little, Naruto smiled back at her, nodding once as members of Team 8 joined in the as well, the Rookie Nine chatting loudly as all the attention in the room diverted to them.

Naruko shook her head a little at her brother's earlier silliness — which were cute in her opinion — she stood alongside him at the edge of their group, speaking with Hinata and Kiba who had joined them.

Naruto subtly scanned the assembly in front of him, noting that the teams he had encountered the first time around were all accounted for. He counted the Sunagakure and Amegakure teams, the Kusagakure team as well as the Otogakure team. There was also that one team with mostly brown and red in their uniforms and their headbands signifying they're from—

—Iwagakure!?

_'__Iwa wasn't here the first time around…' _Naruto thought calmly, narrowing his eyes at the Iwa-nin. _'What the hell made them participate this time around?'_

The three-man team consisted of all males. There were not anything special about them, nor were they of any interest to the blonde haired time traveler even if they do possess special abilities. Judging by their pitiful chakra levels, _Ino_ could beat them if she tried hard enough.

**"****Who knows," **Kurama's voice said, and Naruto could imagine the beast shrugging. **"Maybe it's because of the Nami Incident you changed, or maybe it's because of you suddenly getting thrown into this dimension that caused certain events to shift slightly – Chaos Theory, Hagoromo-Jiji once mentioned it."**

_'__It's possible…'_ Naruto thought, crossing his arms in front of his chest. _'I'll just have to be more careful from now on, huh?'_

**"****Unfortunately,"** Kurama admitted. **"But, as you humans used to say: it pays to be prepared."**

_'__I hear that.' _

"Hey you kids! Keep your voices down!" a _very_ familiar voice called out, making Naruto and Naruko stiffen up. "This isn't a place for rowdy children."

The rest of the Rookie Nine turned their heads to see who had spoken to them. It was a bespectacled young man with white hair, wearing a Konoha headband, white undershirt with a purple one over it, and standard shinobi pants. The man had a calm smile on his face, and his demeanor exuded warmth and friendliness. Overall, he seemed like a nice young fellow…

… but not to the Uzumakis though, for they had already known his true allegiance and nature.

"What's it to you, four-eyes?" Kiba asked rudely.

The man only shrugged with an easy grin.

"I just wanted to give you guys some advice you see," he said, "from one Konoha shinobi to another. Since you guys are still wet behind the ears, I'll help you. The name is Yakushi Kabuto by the way…"

Unbeknown to the newly named Kabuto, a certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy was doing whatever he can to keep himself from tearing into the man right now. The despicable spy for Orochimaru had been a thorn in Konoha's side for years. He was the one that planted the seeds of doubt in Sasuke's mind, and drove him to seek more power from the Snake Sannin.

"And what _advice _does a _genin_ twice our age have for us?" Naruto said evenly, and he was surprisingly able to keep the rage out of his tone.

Ignoring the verbal jab at him like a true professional, Kabuto then pulled out a deck of cards from his utility pouch. Shuffling the cards in place, he began explaining to the Konoha genin about the data cards, and about how he had gathered the information and inputting them into the cards after attempting the Chūnin Exams not once, not twice, but _seven_ times in total and failing the same amount of times.

Naruko narrowed her violet orbs at the man.

If the man's overly friendly nature wasn't enough to set her on edge, the data cards he had collected pretty much screamed 'spy' in her mind. She was confident that even without seeing her brother's memories, she herself would not trust the man so easily. Her chakra sensory abilities were also blaring alarm bells at her, for she had detected unusually well-developed chakra coils in the man which were normally found in seasoned Jōnin.

In short, she concluded that the man was _dangerous, _even with his pretense of still being a genin.

Taking Naruto's hand with her own, Naruko squeezed them comfortingly for she knew how affected he was by this, allowing the boy to relax his tense muscles and unclench his hands. He offered a grateful smile to her and she smiled in return, hugging one of his arms to her as they continued to listen to Kabuto explain about his cards.

The bespectacled man drew one of the cards as he channeled chakra into them. The once blank card now had a map of the Elemental Nations on it and the rough estimates of the participants from each major shinobi village.

"I can also offer information about individual participants in this exam," the Uzumaki siblings heard the man say, "It's far from complete since I've only just arrived, but… if I can help, I'll do what I can."

Unsurprisingly although it was a tad bit annoying, Uchiha Sasuke stepped forward with a confident smirk.

"I want info on Rock Lee, Uzumaki Naruko and Uzumaki Naruto from Konoha." He said clearly.

Some of the Konoha Rookies were shocked by his request while Naruto and Naruko sighed at the exact same time, much to their amusement as they both chuckled quietly.

They noticed that after merging both halves of Kurama's chakra, they had become more in tune with one another, being able to perceive what the other was about to say or do almost instinctively. It may be one of the side effects of the merging, but other than that, they counted it as a blessing seeing as their teamwork would be almost flawless if the need arose.

"You know their names and village?" Kabuto said with a smirk. "Too easy! Now, let's see here…"

He pulled out a card and poured chakra into it, showing the face of Rock Lee and all of his relevant information.

"Rock Lee, Genin of Konoha." He began. "A year older than you lot, his teammates in Team 9 are Tenten and Hyūga Neji. Jōnin-sensei is Konoha's taijutsu specialist, Maito Gai. It says here that the boy has no talent for ninjutsu and genjutsu, so he only focuses on taijutsu." That comment made Sasuke growl, but the man surged on. "He has gone on 57 D-ranks, and 23 C-ranks. No other noteworthy information can be said about him."

"Next is Uzumaki Naruko," he continued, pulling out another card and showing Naruko's image and info. "Genin of Konoha, 'Kunoichi of the Year' of this year's graduating class, and her teammates are Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura. Jōnin-sensei is the famous 'Sharingan no Kakashi' or 'Copy Ninja Kakashi'. Excels in taijutsu and ninjutsu but only passable in genjutsu, she is considered one of the foremost prodigies Konoha has produced in years. She has gone on 38 D-ranks, and _two_ A-ranks?!" he said the last part out loud deliberately if Naruto was sensing him correctly.

Everyone turned to look at the squirming and blushing Naruko, who had hidden behind her brother to get away from the gazes. For Team 7, this was half the shock, since they knew about their botched C turned A-rank mission in Wave. However, the _second_ one was a surprise.

Naruto only sighed in amusement at seeing his friends' reactions. Glancing at Naruko, he spoke plainly with a small grin.

"Mizuki-teme?" it was a statement, not a question.

"Mizuki-teme." Naruko confirmed with a resolute nod, earning confused looks from their audience.

"Tōji Mizuki tried to steal the Forbidden Scroll of Seals during the day he botched Naruko-chan's Graduation Exam." Naruto explained. "Hime (Princess) here beat him up real good when the bastard almost killed Iruka-sensei."

Naruko blushed at Naruto's nickname for her while the rest of the genin were stunned speechless. Kabuto however just nodded.

"It also says here that in recent months, she had found a long lost family member, now adopted brother." He finished.

Pulling out another card, he continued. "And last but not least, Uzumaki Naruto."

However, unlike the first two, this one flickered for a moment before clearing once more, revealing Naruto's info.

"Let's see. Genin of Konoha, and on the Sandaime Hokage's suggestion, was placed in an _independent cell_." He said the last part aloud deliberately, forcing Naruto to restrain himself with the help of Naruko from killing the man where he stood. "This hasn't been done in recent memory by Konoha since Uchiha Itachi, the Kinslayer. Blood test results provide by Hokage-sama shows that he is indeed the legitimate blood relative of Uzumaki Naruko, and has been living together ever since. Scored near perfect points in all shinobi-related skills, excels in taijutsu and ninjutsu, though only passable in genjutsu. The only reason he was not the 'Rookie of the Year' was his entry of the Graduation Exams at the last moment, though he passed easily anyway."

There was a deathly silence in the entire room as Kabuto surged on nonchalantly. "Since he's in an independent cell, his Jōnin retainer is 'Sharingan no Kakashi', and is only the boy's teacher in name only since he usually operates alone with supervision. He has been on 47 D-ranks, and a single A-rank. And get this…" he paused a moment for added suspense, before continuing. "It was during this particular A-rank, that he single handedly defeated Momochi Zabuza, one of the Seven Swordsman of Kiri."

A deathly silence ensued, before every head in the _entire_ room slowly turned towards the boy in general. Seeing the looks, Naruto only sighed as he palmed his face, now knowing that every team in this room would be gunning for him during the second part of the exams. Moreover, that Kabuto… he was just as resourceful as Naruto remembered — crafty too, since he diverted the opposition's attention _away_ from Sasuke and onto _him_.

Very clever… but not clever enough.

"Now, can you please get on with it?" Naruto said in an annoyed tone. "Your little show-and-tell just made me 'Public Enemy No. 1' in this room. Thanks a lot, genius." He directed the last jab at Sasuke, who smirked at the blonde's misfortune. "I've got someone — Sabaku no Gaara from Sunagakure."

"Okay," Kabuto pulled out another card. "Genin of Suna, teammates are Sabaku no Temari and Sabaku no Kankurō. Jōnin-sensei is Baki. Has been on 47 D-ranks, 12 C-ranks, and… whoa, and one B-rank but get this — he has never been touched in battle, not even _once_."

Everyone just stared at the card, with Naruto and Naruko acting as normal as they already knew _why_ he was untouched.

"Oh, crap." Shikamaru summed up everyone's thoughts on the matter. "He's been on a B-rank and wasn't even touched? This is so troublesome…"

Kabuto nodded. "There are a lot of experienced and skilled teams participating this year. Surprisingly, Iwa sent one of their own this year for reasons unknown, and the newly formed Otogakure also sent one of their teams." He said, "But, since it's still a relatively new shinobi village, the team's they send shouldn't be too much of a hassle to deal with."

It happened in an instant.

One of the Oto genin with bandages all across his body, who had heard Kabuto's comment, rushed to hit the young man. He was fast — faster than any ordinary genin. Still, he was not fast enough, for a well-thrown kunai – handle first – slammed into his face, throwing the young boy off balance as he tumbled forward.

Looking up from his daze, the boy saw out of the corner of his eye Naruto smirking at him before disappearing into the crowd. He growled as he got back up, trudging back to his teammates.

_– __Thank Kami that I had reversed the kunai to throw it handle-first before chucking it at him, – _Naruto mentally said with a breath of relief. _– I wasn't sure if he'd survive a kunai in his face…–_

_– __That wasn't one of your flashier moves, but it worked. – _Naruko replied cheekily, mentally giggling. _– But you were so fast with your draw, it looked like the kunai came out of nowhere! That was so cool! –_

Naruto mentally chuckled. _– I will teach you that during the one-month interval between the second and third parts of the exam. How does that sound? – _he suggested.

_– __Yes please! Thank you, Onii-chan! –_

Naruto only chuckled in response.

Suddenly, there was a huge explosion of smoke in front of the room, before a group of men in shinobi battle-wear stood in front of them. Their leader, wearing a bandanna with hitai-ate attached to the front, roared out.

"ALRIGHT YOU MAGGOTS! NO FIGHTING BEFORE THE EXAM OR YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED AND SENT HOME CRYING LIKE THE LITTLE PIECES OF SHITS YOU ARE!"

Clearing his throat, he continued. "My name is Morino Ibiki, and I will be your proctor for this part of the Chūnin Exams…"

He then grinned maliciously, sending shivers of cold dread down most of the genin's spines.

"… and I bid thee welcome, to _my_ brand of absolute _Hell_."

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

**And done people! **

**Holy mother of God! ****That**** took a while to write. Sorry for not updating for one and a half months people, as I was hit with a ****_major_**** writer's block that needed to be unclogged. Plus, college life was killing me, as well as my Japanese Language classes. Argh… this sucks. Writer's block and college life are ****_not_**** a healthy combination for a writer like me. And the during the wait for my brain to get unclogged, my review counts had skyrocketed — 581 reviews!? Hoooooooooooly SHIT people! Thank you guys so damn much, I could go through your screen and hug you people to death! Heh…**

**In addition, with over 2,000 follows and the favorite count hot on its heels, it is safe to say that this has become one of the most popular Naruto Fanfictions with the NarutoXNaruko pairing, and I. Am. So. Damn. Emotional. Right. Now. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!**

**So anyways, here's another chapter for Destiny Rebirth. Wait for the next instalment people! **

**This is HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE!**


	15. Chūnin Exams – Part Two!

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Fifteen: The Chūnin Exams – Part Two! The Confession! (Finally!)**

* * *

"Listen up you maggots!" Ibiki shouted as the entire room fell silent, "The first part of the Chūnin Exams is the written exam. That's right; you heard me, the _written_ exam — that means pen and paper, no fancy introductory sparring or some other nonsense. You will be given one hour to finish up 9 questions that will be given to you. I'll be giving you the 10th question myself after you have finished the first 9 questions, fifteen minutes before the one hour mark is up."

"The rules are quite simple," he continued. "Each team will be given a total starting point of 10. Each time you get caught, whether it's one of your teammates or yourself, your team's overall points will be reduced by 2. Once you lose all your points, you're automatically disqualified, your team included. And don't think you can fool us either — see these gentlemen behind me?"

He gestured behind him towards the assembly of chūnin. Once the genin nodded their assent, he continued. "They will act as your proctors as well, and will be on the lookout for any cheaters. Is that understood?!" he roared at the end, earning a loud chorus in return.

Nodding in satisfaction, Ibiki picked up a box from one of his aides before dropping it down on the table in front of him with a loud crash.

"Now that that's out of the way, each of you come up here to this box and pick up a number, which is where you will be sitting." He said, "Now… GET MOVING!"

At his shout, the assembled genin all scrambled into action, quickly getting up to the box to retrieve their numbers. None of them said anything, and only the sound of shuffling footsteps and chairs being pulled out of their desks were heard throughout the room. No one wanted to get on the man's bad side.

But for one Uzumaki Naruto, the scene before him was so familiar and nostalgic he had to fight the urge to laugh for no apparent reason. How many times had he fondly remembered the day he entered his first Chūnin Exams? How excited he had been when he could take another step forward on his way to become Hokage?

Those were the days, when everything was straightforward and clear…

Not like now, when you have an eon-old being of pure malice manipulating history as the world knew it from behind the scenes for centuries while still remaining hidden…

It didn't paint a pretty picture at all.

Naruto finally got his number, which put him in the middle of the room. Sitting down and preparing for the go ahead signal from Ibiki, he looked around to see who else was seated near him. To his surprise, Hinata sat to his left, smiling at him as she inclined her head politely.

Giving her a confident grin and a nod, he turned back to his own downturned paper just as he heard Ibiki's voice shout out.

"Okay, you may begin… now!"

Flipping open the paper on his desk, Naruto felt himself pale a little at the questions asked. It was just as hard as he remembered them to be — no normal genin could even answer a fifth of the questions, and he doubted even experienced chūnin could answer half of them, he added idly.

But, he reminded himself once more, he was no mere genin.

_– __Yo, Naruko-chan. – _he said mentally, chuckling in mild amusement feeling the girl giving a start in surprise. _– Sorry about that, should have warned you earlier… –_

_– __You scared me there, Onii-chan. – _she breathed out mentally. _– So… how are you doing on your end? –_

Naruko could imagine her brother shrugging his shoulders.

_– __It's as hard as I remembered them to be. – _he said, looking around the distraught faces of the other genin as they too had found the questions to be ridiculously difficult. _– Where are you? –_

_– __At the front of the room, far left side. It's a bit isolated, so you'll probably have a hard time spotting me. – _she replied.

He only needed one look in that particular direction to single her out. After all, her hair was what defined her exotic beauty, and no one in the world possessed that kind of hair which looked like they were weaved from gold and sprinkled with gold dust. It was truly a breathtaking sight to behold.

_– __Well, I'll be… I see you already. – _he said.

_– __Really?! – _she replied, sending her surprise through their bond as she pouted a little. _– How can you spot me so quickly? –_

_– __Simple. – _he began. _– You're the only one who has such beautiful hair. – _

Unknown to him, Naruko was blushing crimson at her brother's honest answer. Many people had complimented her on her looks, mostly boys her age and even a few older boys who kept eying her in an inappropriate way. Most of their _flattering_ comments (and she used it in the loosest term possible) were because of her looks and her status, and Naruko had a faint idea that they only wanted to get the credit of dating the most popular kunoichi in the Academy.

But the way Naruto had complimented her was different than the other boys. It sounded more… sincere and truthful, him being her brother aside. It held no undermining meaning other than to make Naruko happy, which it did.

_'__Just another one of his traits that I love so much…'_ she thought dreamily. _'And it's bad enough that I love him, not as a sibling, but as someone much more. How is it that he's been single all his life when he's such a sweet guy?'_

However, as always, life decided to throw her a curveball at her, as she forgot to put up her mental shields in time when she voiced out her thoughts mentally. She was slightly jolted from her musings when she heard Naruto speak through their bond.

_– __Eh heh, yeah… about that Naruko-chan…– _he said haltingly, an embarrassed undertone in his voice. _– Kurama-nii said that I'm so dense that even when a girl confesses that she has a crush on me, I'd still be oblivious and confused… but if that girl was you, well… –_

Naruko blinked once, and twice, and then a third time as she processed what he had said, before her cheeks flared an alarming shade of crimson – she wasn't sure that she could go any redder than this! Cursing and swearing lightly to herself, she slammed up her mental shields abruptly before taking several shuddering breaths, her grip on the pencil she was holding tightening as the pencil strained in protest.

She hadn't meant to blurt out her random thoughts like that. Her secret, or not so secret feelings for her brother were out, plain as day through their bond. She might as well have confessed outright!

_– __No! I mean… you're not supposed to have heard that! I… oh Kami-sama… – _she breathed mentally, wanting so much to pull her in frustration hair at the moment. _– I'm really, __really__ sorry Onii-chan! Me and my motor mouth…! I understand if you don't want to speak to me anymore, so I'll just… –_

She never finished her mental reply, when the world around her distorted and she once again found herself in the familiar surroundings of her mindscape. Before she could even begin to regain her bearings, she suddenly found herself turned around before being enveloped in a warm hug.

Instinctively throwing her arms around the person hugging her, Naruko opened her mouth to speak, wanting to apologize for the umpteenth time for many of her occasional slip-ups, before Naruto beat her to it.

"You don't have to be sorry for anything, Naruko-chan," He said soothingly. "so don't you worry about a thing. I'm not mad — not even close."

His words calmed Naruko down somewhat, but she still wasn't convinced. She felt the gnawing feeling of doubt and her insecurities surface at that moment, and she had to make sure her brother was sincere when he had spoken.

"B-But…" she stammered, kicking herself for it as she surged on. "I-I'm n-not supposed to be thinking about you that way… it's _wrong_!"

Naruko knew she was trying to convince herself of the fact, and she didn't think she was very successful.

To her surprise, Naruto chuckled heartily, shaking his head in mirth. Slightly annoyed, she was about to raise her fist and lightly bop him on the head before he stopped and stared into her eyes, his cerulean eyes shining with warmth and love.

She was sure her heart was beating out of her chest at the moment, along with her stomach doing backflips on top of somersaults.

"No, it's not." He said, smiling at the confused look she sported, which was kind of cute in Naruto's opinion, he elaborated. "Let's face it Naruko-chan, even though we're both technically siblings by blood, we don't act like it do we?"

Naruko was about to say yes, but remembered all the times they had spent together, doing things siblings 'supposedly' did like cuddling together in bed, several times finding themselves spooning one or the other in the mornings while blushing furiously along with hasty apologies. Their walks in the park had moved from walking side by side to holding hands, and finally to Naruto embracing her with an arm around her shoulders as she snuggled into his warmth.

Those subtle changes in their behavior during the past few months – those little details that were always overlooked – made Naruko finally realize just how much their relationship had changed.

They were becoming more like lovers than actual siblings.

And frankly, Naruko couldn't find it in herself to care. She had finally given up on denying her feelings, which were growing _stronger_ with time, not weaker as she had hoped.

She was, well and truly, in love her brother with all her heart.

"No…" she giggled. "No we don't. I'm surprised none of our friends noticed it. I would've thought Ino would be the first to notice the change."

"No, she's still too obsessed with Sasuke to notice." Naruto said with a grin. "Besides, I think Teuchi-Oji-san and Ayame-nee-chan figured it out _long_ ago. Heck, they were betting on _when_ we were getting together, not _if_."

He should know. Naruto had found it out by complete accident one day when he and Naruko were about to leave when he caught the tail-end conversation of the bet the father-daughter duo made about him and Naruko getting together. _That_ resulted in an awkward day for him as he tried not to dwell on the matter too much, but every time he looked at the blonde beauty beside him, he would flush and look away abruptly.

That was the day that spurred him to read up on the Uzumaki Clan Journal.

Naruko blushed as she looked away slightly, rubbing her arm nervously as she did.

"So," she began. "What now?"

"Hmm?" he hummed. "What do you mean?"

Naruko flushed a deeper shade of red as she looked up shyly at him, and Naruto swore that he had died and went to heaven and back again when he saw how cute she looked at the moment.

"What are we?" she asked quietly.

Naruto paused to ponder the question — the sink-or-swim scenario.

He knew he was at the crossroads. On one hand, he could reject her love for him and drive an invisible wedge between them that would probably never heal, or he could accept it along with the newfound feelings he had discovered after spending months in this new dimension and advance their relationship to the next level, consequences be damned.

For Uzumaki Naruto, who wanted to be acknowledged and loved more than anything all his life, the answer was obvious enough.

He reached out and lifted the girl's chin up, her violet orbs locking with his own sky blue ones. He could see the myriad of emotions within them, and the moist gathering at the edge of the girl's eyes. She was scared, he saw. Scared of his rejection and the pain that came with it, and finding another to move on from her painful first rejection.

He wouldn't allow it, he said to himself. He loved the cheery blonde-haired, violet eyed girl not only as his sister, but as someone much more as well. He had promised to stand by her side, no matter what. He wouldn't allow her to suffer and go through the pain he did.

He smiled lovingly at her as he closed the distance between their faces, feeling her breath on his lips.

"What do you think, Na-ru-ko-chan?" he slurred out her name playfully.

Taken aback, Naruko didn't have the time to reply or react before she felt Naruto's lips press ever so softly onto hers.

Even in their shared mindscape, she could've sworn that she had stopped breathing the moment his lips connected with hers as she froze, eyes wide in shock. Naruto didn't probe further, staying perfectly still as he lingered on her lips, never once breaking the kiss nor probing further than intended. Naruko's heart nearly melted at her brother's display of concern for her wellbeing, which was _very_ sweet in her opinion.

Flushing a cute cherry red, she slowly returned the kiss, closing her eyes as she molded her lips with Naruto's own as they shared their first kiss with one another — well, in Naruto's case, his first kiss with a girl, she thought amusedly — neither wanted to pull away from the intense feeling of _love _and _belonging_ they felt at the moment.

She unconsciously let out a light whimper, hoping against hope that her brother hadn't heard that. She didn't want the moment to end as quickly as it had begun.

Naruto, meanwhile, was acting completely on instinct as he kissed his sister — his _breathtakingly beautiful_ sister. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, and his hands were trembling like a leaf in the wind. He didn't know what prompted him to do what he did, as he only wanted to touch his forehead against Naruko's, and one thing led to another and now here he was, kissing the blonde beauty.

He felt her freeze up and his heart clenched painfully in his chest. Had he been too hasty? Did he cross the line somewhere when he had kissed her?

He was relieved of his slightly pessimistic thoughts as Naruko slowly returned the kiss, making his heart soar. He had already accepted that he loved her as more than just a sister, and he had been contemplating on how he should ask her out on a date after the second part of the Chūnin Exams when she had accidently let her thoughts slip through their bond, unintentionally revealing her feelings for him.

Although it had been an accident, Naruto felt his heart sing beautifully when he heard them.

She reciprocated his feelings, even though he hadn't told her yet. That was why when she had started apologizing thinking that he was disgusted or furious at her, he had focused his mental energy into pulling her into their mindscape, wanting her to know that he felt the same way.

He was broken out of his musings by Naruko's _extremely cute_ whimper, and Naruto could feel his mind turn to mush when he heard that. She was cute yes, but she was also smart, kind-hearted, friendly and anything and everything that he could think of at the top of his head. She was just that amazing!

Reluctantly pulling away, he opened his eyes (which were closed when they were kissing) to see the look of pure bliss on the blonde girl's face, eyes closed and a peaceful smile on her lips. She opened her striking amethyst orbs to gaze at him lovingly, face still a cute shade of pink while smiling warmly.

"Wow." She breathed.

Naruto chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Wow, indeed." He acknowledged with a light flush.

There was a small pause as the Uzumaki siblings held onto one another, neither of them wanted to separate from the other

"H-How…" Naruko asked haltingly, slightly berating herself for stammering out her words. "H-How long…?"

Her half-question came out as a small squeak, but Naruto understood it completely. Taking her hands in his own, he held them comfortingly as he spoke.

"I don't know…" he began. "I guess I've always loved you, just not in the way you think."

Pulling away slightly, Naruto looked into his sister's bright purple eyes as he gently stroked her cheek with his hand. The blonde girl leaned into his touch, causing a smile to curl on his lips.

"It was platonic at first." he explained. "I just wanted to make you proud to call me your brother, you know? So, I just focused on spending time with you, doing things that I never got to do when I was younger — and so on and so forth."

After a brief pause he spoke again. "Over time, something changed. The more time I spent with you, the more I came to realize that you're more than just my mirror image. I… kind of still thought of you as me in my female form back then…" he said with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his head as Naruko sent a mock look of hurt at him. "But after spending time with you, I came to see that you're more than that. You are mature, more so than I was when I was your age. You are smart — another thing that sets you and me apart in my early days. And finally, you embody everything that Kaa-chan and Tou-chan ever wished for you — a kind, beautiful and strong kunoichi of Konoha…"

Naruko blinked away the mistiness that was clouding in her eyes as she listened to Naruto speak, hanging onto his every word. Every fantasy that she had dreamt of was finally coming true, and it filled her heart with untold amounts of joy. Right now, there was no Chūnin Exams, no Kaguya, and no Black Zetsu — there was only her and Naruto, _her_ beloved Naruto.

Naruto sighed with a small smile.

"You are all that, and so much more." He said, "And I find myself falling for you ever since the first time we met. It didn't help that you're both cute and beautiful — a dangerous combination let me tell you. I wonder to myself more than once whether you are an angel or something just as breathtaking…"

Naruko flushed a tomato red. She couldn't help herself as only Naruto's compliments could trigger such a reaction from her. No other boys came even close to making as flustered as she was now. She felt more giddy and excited than she had ever felt before.

"Flatterer…" Naruko finally said after composing herself, though the blush on her cheeks was still present. "No wonder Kakashi-sensei called you a Casanova — you could get any girl you want with your way with words, your looks and your personality…" Then, she asked the question that has been bothering her ever since she found out about her feelings towards her brother.

"… so why didn't you?"

It came out as small whisper, but Naruto heard it nonetheless as he frowned.

Did she really think so low of him as to ask him that sort of question, or was it that her blatant self-consciousness about herself that was making her ask this? He didn't dwell on it too much as he smiled warmly at her, tucking a stray strand of golden blonde hair behind her ear, eliciting a cute blush from his sister.

If she didn't believe that he genuinely loved her, then he would just have to show it to her the way he knows best — the way Uzumaki Naruto, Number One Most Unpredictable Knuckleheaded Ninja, knows best.

"Isn't it obvious?" he began, leaning forward with their faces centimeters apart, feeling each other's breath on their lips. "There was only _one_ girl for me, and that's you, 'ttebayo…"

And he pressed his lips onto hers once more.

Naruko's eyes leaked tears of joy as she happily returned the kiss. It was real; everything that had happened so far was _real_. She was afraid that because of the stress of the past few days, she was hallucinating all of it — her heart couldn't take it if it was.

Pulling away from the kiss, with their foreheads touching gently, Naruto smiled at her.

"I don't care what others think of us, but I can say with absolute certainty — I love you, Uzumaki Naruko, both as a sister and as someone much more." He said in complete clarity. He had finally said it — admitted to himself that he loved her. "After the second part of the Chūnin Exams, um, will you…? Kami, I am _so_ bad with this…"

Naruko tittered as she watched a flustered Naruto stumble around with his words. She squeezed his hand gently, encouraging him to go on and take his time to gather his thoughts, receiving a grateful smile from the blonde boy.

He had thought long and hard on his decision, and now when he was at the crossroads, there was no turning back.

He had already made his decision the night before. Taking a deep breath, Naruto finally asked.

"Will you be my girlfriend, Naruko-chan?"

Tears sprang to her eyes once more as Naruko clapped her hands over her mouth, overcome with elation and quite a bit of blissful shock as well. Pinching her arm until it hurt to confirm that she wasn't in a wonderful dream, she threw her arms around the one she loved with all her heart, nodding into his neck as she chanted 'yes, yes, yes…' over and over again.

Naruto was in heaven.

He was sure he was still in a wonderful dream brought on by the stress of the past few weeks, and everything that had happened so far was just that, a dream, albeit a delightful one. He made that clear with his next words.

"Is this a dream?" he began. "If it is, I don't ever want to wake up…"

Naruko laughed melodically, tears still flowing down her cheeks as she smiled up at him.

"I was thinking the same thing," she replied. "It's so surreal I can hardly believe it."

Her brother leaned in and placed another kiss on her lips, as if to reassure her of the fact that this was _real_ and not their imaginations going off tangent. They had been denying their feelings for so long that it physically hurt whenever they were apart. If not for their unique bond with one another, it took a miracle that would allow them to survive the first few hours apart from one another and not feel depressed. That was how deep their love for one another went.

"Yatta…" Naruto whispered, a giant grin forming on his lips as he started lowly chuckling, wrapping his arms around the girl tighter. "Yatta! Yatta! Yatta! I got a girlfriend! Yatta!" he loudly cheered as he twirled Naruko around, eliciting a round of happy laughs from both children.

Naruko giggled at her brother's exuberance, laughing along with him as he spun her around, laughing loudly and what seemed like tears falling from his squinted eyes. Her own eyes had also become misted as she wrapped her arms tighter around her beloved — yes, she could finally say it, her beloved Naruto. And no one was going to change her mind, or say anything otherwise.

She was his, he was hers — two entirely different existences coming together under extraordinary circumstances.

Brought together by fate, and bound by love.

They would support each other through all the hardships that were sure to come their way in the coming years, come hell or high water — or both.

The two of them held onto one another, reveling in the warmth and peace that permeated throughout the mindscape as they just enjoyed each other's presence in their arms. No words were exchanged, as each knew what the other was feeling through their bond. They were just content with holding onto one another, with Naruko's head resting on Naruto's chest as the boy held her tighter, breathing in her scent.

After moment of peaceful silence, Naruto was the one who broke it.

"Just think," he began, chuckling. "I originally called you through the bond was to tell you about how we should finish our written exams."

"Really?" Naruko asked with a surprised tone. "I thought you were just checking up on me…"

"Yeah, that too." Naruto replied with a small shake of his head, a smile on his lips. "And one thing led to another, and I suddenly found myself scoring a date with the loveliest girl that I've ever met."

He grinned at the cute blush that colored the blonde beauty's cheeks. "And I plan to take you to more dates in the future, Naruko-chan."

Naruko smiled up beautifully at him.

"I'll hold you to that, Onii-chan." She replied, before she took on a cute thinking expression, tapping her chin in thought as she looked up at nothing in particular. "Or should it be Naruto-kun? I can't decide on which one. Hmm…tricky, tricky…"

Naruto laughed at the girl's teasing as he hugged the girl closer to him. "Any one of them is fine, Naruko-chan. As long as you're happy, then that's fine with me."

"Then Onii-chan it is," Naruko said with a beaming smile. At his questioning gaze, she elaborated. "You're still my Onii-chan even though we're dating, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Naruto hugged the girl to himself as he chuckled. "Did anyone tell you how amazing you are?"

Naruko giggled.

"I'd be inclined to be reminded every once in a while." She replied cheekily.

"I'll be sure to do that more often then." Naruto leaned forward and captured her lips again. He couldn't get enough of the taste and feel of her lips on his. They were intoxicating. "Now, let's finish this exam so we can go to the second part and _finally _have our date after it's done."

"Hai!" the blonde beauty cheered.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

When the Uzumaki couple had finally left their shared mindscapes, it seemed to them that no time had passed at all after all that had happened between them, but they didn't care nor did they notice. They were far too happy and giddy to let the tense atmosphere in the hall bother them in the slightest.

_– __Alright, let's get started. – _Naruto announced. _– Some of these questions would make even rookie Jōnin sweat, and the point system that Morino-san laid down earlier was as subtle as a brick to the face: they _want_ us to cheat. –_

He could feel the gears shifting in his sister turned girlfriend's mind as she connected the dots easily. She was, after all, a prodigy unlike any other, and he was damn proud of that fact.

_– __So _that's _why they laid down those rules… I thought it was absurd at first but now it makes perfect sense! – _Naruko exclaimed in realization. _– They want us to cheat and _not_ get caught while doing it… is that it? –_

_– __Right on the money, Naruko-chan. – _Naruto replied, pride evident in his tone — yup, definitely smarter than his younger self. _– I'll bet they didn't take into account our telepathic bond. Heh… nothing said anything about speaking with your significant other through your head. –_ he added humorously, earning a mental equivalent of a light smack to the head.

**"****Heh… I'll say." **Kurama's voice echoed throughout their minds, slightly startling them. **"Congratulations on becoming an official item you two! You finally got your butts moving long enough to confess you liked one another. Kami, it hurts seeing you two dancing around one another when it's blaringly obvious you're just avoiding the issue…"**

The Kyūbi no Kitsune snickered at the blushes covering his hosts' faces. Naruto began mentally spluttering while Naruko just remained quiet, simmering in embarrassment.

_– __Yeah, thanks Kurama-nii. – _Naruto said sincerely. _– I don't know what I'll do without you…–_

**"****Become utterly miserable while stuffing your face with absurd amounts of ramen?" **Kurama supplied cheekily.

_– __One time! –_ Naruto mentally yelled indignantly, though a grin was curving at his lips. _– I did that _one_ time because Sakura rejected me and you'll never let me live it down! Gah! –_

Naruko giggled at her small family's antics. It was moments like these that she thanked Kami every day for giving her a family that she could call her own.

_– __Ara, ara, calm down Onii-chan, Kurama-nii. – _she giggled. _– We still have a test to finish. You can continue your argument _after_ Onii-chan takes me out on our date. –_

She felt Naruto send a warm feeling of reassurance through their bond, making her shiver involuntary at the pleasant tingling feeling throughout her body.

**"****Nah, it isn't an argument," **Kurama replied easily, **"Just harmless teasing, nothing to be worried about. You'll only need to worry about arguments when Black Zetsu is around…"**

She only nodded in understanding. She too would be hard pressed to keep calm when thinking about that thing.

Looking around her, Naruko spotted other participants had also come to the same conclusion as she and her beloved, and were acting accordingly. She saw Hinata and that jerk Neji activating their Byakugans and copying the answers of the hidden chūnin in front of them. She also noticed Shino discretely letting several of his bugs fly out of his sleeves, letting them fly around before coming back to him, and she assumed the bugs transmitted the answers to him.

As she and Naruto mentally discussed the seventh question, he asked her to look in the direction of Tenten and her teammate Lee. Doing as he asked, she could only stare in awe at how the bun-haired girl skillfully rigged the ceiling mirrors so that they were angled in a way that they could reflect the answers off the chūnin several tables in front of them. What's more, the girl managed to do it without arousing suspicion, and it only made Naruko even more awed.

Turning her attention to her teammates, Naruko saw that Sakura was doing what she did best: answering every single question easily and flawlessly, as the pink-haired girl's pencil never stopped moving as they blazed through the questions.

Naruko shook her head in wonderment — Sakura's mental capacity was greater than many people she had ever met, excluding Shikamaru of course since Nara Clan members were inherent geniuses since birth, but were moderated by their infamous laziness.

On more than one occasion, scholars had always argued that if the Nara Clan had the Uchiha Clan's ambitiousness, then they could've easily taken over Hi no Kuni and possibly the Elemental Continent.

Naruko just filed that random thought away. Food for thought was always good when you were bored and had nothing else better to do.

But now was not the time.

Sasuke was just copying the hand movements of the hidden chūnin in front of him with his Sharingan. She also noticed Akamaru on Kiba's head, barking out answers for the wild-haired boy. She also noticed with no small amount of amusement Chōji answering the questions with a frantic look in his eyes while a bag of chips in his unoccupied hand, nervously stuffing the chips in his mouth when he couldn't answer his questions. Shikamaru, as expected, just slept through the whole test while only answering one question out of nine.

Naruko then noticed Ino doing a few hand signs before aiming an open dove palm at Sakura, who promptly slumped over before coming to again while Ino herself slumped. Sakura seemed to nod before she slumped over once more, causing Ino to 'awaken' as the platinum-haired blonde starting writing down her answers.

_'__Shindenshin no Jutsu…'_ Naruko thought, slightly angry at the Yamanaka girl for her cheap stunt. Her anger simmered down however, reminding herself once more that this was a shinobi test, and anything goes in the shinobi world, cheap stunt or not.

_– __Don't worry about Sakura so much, Naruko-chan. – _she jumped at her brother / boyfriend's voice in her mind. She smiled to herself as she played with a strand of her golden hair as she finished up the ninth and last question. Leave it to Naruto to know _exactly_ what she was thinking even before she thought of it. _– Besides, I'd rather notice Kankurō going to the bathroom for so long. If that doesn't seem suspicious I don't know what is. –_

True to his word, Naruko noticed that the puppet-user Sand Sibling had just entered the hall. As he was about to walk past her desk, she saw the main proctor, Ibiki, smirk at the boy and spoke loudly.

"I hope that you were able to sort out your thoughts."

Judging by the grimace on the war painted boy's face, Naruko knew he had been caught, but the proctor didn't do anything more than that.

_– __Busted~ – _she sang out playfully, earning a lurid laugh from Naruto.

As more and more teams were disqualified, Naruko found herself spending a lot of time talking with her beloved Naruto through their bond as if they were discussing their homework from Iruka-sensei. She couldn't thank Kurama enough for allowing their bond to blossom to the point where they could share their thoughts, words and feeling with each other without restrictions. The possibilities of this technique were limitless! It also helped that Naruto knew most of the questions asked by experience…

She did a few checks on her paper while feeling her brother do the same, nodding in satisfaction before flipping the paper over face down and put her pencil aside, sighing in relief. Looking up at the clock, she noted there was just five minutes left on the one hour mark — they were cutting it pretty close when they finished.

The Uzumaki duo watched the time limit count down until the last second, signaling that the written test of their lives was finally over — and for the best in our favorite couple's opinion.

Ibiki nodded as he cleared his throat.

"Alright everyone, pencils down." He began. "I will be personally giving you the tenth and final question. However, before we begin, I have an important announcement to make."

The aspiring genin in the hall quieted down after that, giving the bandana-wearing man their undivided attention. Smirking to himself, Ibiki decided to lay it out for them as to why they were in the Chūnin Exams.

"One, this question is strictly voluntary, which means you can choose _not _to take it. However, once you forfeit, you'll no longer be able to compete in this year's exams. Same goes to you team."

"What kind of stupid question is that?!" Naruto noted that one of the Iwa genin had shouted, "Of course we're going to take it!"

The smirk the man gave was _absolutely_ predatory.

"Well here's where the catch lies," Ibiki hummed out as if talking to an insolent child. "Once you decide to take this question, and _fail_ to answer it correctly, you will _never_ become a chūnin again and remain a genin forever. Period."

Naruto rested his chin onto the palm of his upturned hand as he watched in amusement the uproar that was erupting following the man's statement. If he were still his younger self's mentality, he too would be shouting like everyone else.

He searched to crowd of protesting teens and finally caught sight of the beautiful shade of amethyst of his beloved sister / girlfriend. Her eyes were alight in amusement and mirth that set him off as he chuckled, watching her giggle as well when she caught his reaction.

He watched as Kiba got onto his feet, fists waving in the air in protest. "Hey! That's not fair! There are plenty of other genins who took their Chūnin Exams and can still compete again the following year!"

If anything, Ibiki's smirk turned vicious.

"Tough luck kid, you got me for a proctor this year." The man scoffed. "So, what's it gonna be kiddies? Forfeit and try again next year, or take your chances and risk staying a genin forever? I don't have all day y'know…"

Naruto watched as many as ten teams filed out of the hall, with the remaining teams still unsure about their choice. He turned his attention towards Team 7's pink-haired member, who was slowly raising her arm to forfeit.

A quick nudge through their bond had Naruko moving before he too stood up, facing the Head of Konoha's Torture &amp; Interrogation Department defiantly.

"Oh, what's this? You planning to give up too kid?" Ibiki asked with a smirk.

He almost flinched back in shock as the boy's intense cerulean orbs locked onto his own dark-colored ones. It was as if the boy's gaze was sizing you up, and gazing deep into your soul to see if they deem you worthy of its attention. After a small pause, the boy spoke, his voice crisp and confident.

"Are you done yet, Morino Ibiki-san?" Naruto began, raising a disinterested eyebrow. "If you're trying to scare us off into thinking that we would never become chūnin again then you're sadly mistaken, because giving up is not in my vocabulary."

Before the man could reply, he was interrupted by another voice.

"I have to admit; you scared off the other teams good — no wonder you're the Head of Konoha's T &amp; I Department. You do this sort of thing for a living, am I right?"

Everyone turned and stared at Naruko, who had spoken, in shock. She was helping Sakura out of her seat as the pink-haired girl had almost lost her will to fight when subjected to Ibiki's mind games. Only the most fanatical of criminals could resist the man's interrogation techniques.

Again, before Ibiki could open his mouth, he was cut off yet again.

"If this is the test of our courage to take the last question—" Naruto said.

"—then don't you think we're doing it admirably?" Naruko finished.

One could hear the pin drop in the hall as every head in the room swiveled between the Uzumaki duo and their head proctor. The obvious ease in which the two blondes had finished or continued each other's sentences was uncanny and awe-inspiring.

"If what you say is true, and we will remain a genin forever—" Naruto began.

"—then it's a good thing that we'll continue protecting this village and everyone in it, even when we are genin." Naruko finished.

Ibiki swallowed as a small bead of sweat rolled down his temple. Here he was, Head of T &amp; I, being manhandled by a pair of thirteen year olds with such ease that he was sure most of his department was going to have a field day if they found out.

He cleared his throat.

"So, you're going to risk being a genin forever?" he asked. "You still have a chance to reconsider."

The Uzumaki duo looked defiantly into the man's eyes.

"We will not let our fear compromise the chances of our teammates," Naruko said. "My dream and my goal are too important to let mere rank hinder me on my path, and if I have to do it all as a genin, then so be it."

Naruto nodded as well.

"My dream is also too important to let such trivial things hinder it as well. I will stand by my imōto till the day I last draw breath on this Earth, I swear on the graves of my forefathers…" he declared.

Everyone stood there in awe and some with jealousy at the two blondes' declarations. To say that ranks were _trivial_ was a bold thing to say when you're participating in one such event that grants you one. The Rookie Nine were staring at their two friends in shock as well, in one case jealousy.

Ibiki shook his head. All around him, more and more genin were gaining resolute looks and were standing their ground. The unsure looks from before were gone, replaced by staunch determination. The Uzumaki sibling's speech had knocked some sense back into them.

"Anyone else?" he intoned. Seeing no one rising to his bait, he sighed. "Very well then, are you all ready?"

As some of them nodded, Ibiki paused to build up the suspense in the atmosphere before he spoke.

"For those of you who stayed to answer the last question… you all pass!"

There was moment of stunned silence, before everything exploded in loud voices.

Temari was the first one on her feet, "Then what the hell was that before?!" she yelled.

Ibiki smirked at her, which served to irritate the Suna kunoichi further. He thumbed towards Naruto and Naruko, where the girl was clinging onto one of the boy's arms.

"Those two over there hit the nail on the head." He began. "The last question was to see if you're willing to sacrifice yourself for your teammates. It takes a whole lot of guts to willingly give your lives for your team and the village."

Ibiki paused. Taking few moments he continued.

"The first part of the exam was to test your ability to gather information. As you know, as shinobi, sometimes we are required to acquire information through underhanded or clandestine means. If you all can't do that, then you shouldn't be here at all." He declared, seeing more than one genin flinch at his words. "The second part tested your resolve, to see if you're willing to give everything for your team and village. Sometimes, when a mission goes to hell, you may have to sacrifice yourself, and risk capture."

Ibiki slowly untied his bandana, before removing it. "Or worse — torture."

Naruto grimaced silently as he felt Naruko held onto his arm tighter. The man's head was just as it was the first time around — a mass of mutilations, holes and burns from previous torture techniques. For his sister, this goes to show that the shinobi world was not pretty and was brutal to all, regardless of age or gender.

He hugged the girl tighter to himself as the man retied his bandana and proceeded to congratulate them for passing the first test, and amidst the cheering and celebrating genin, there was only one concern in Naruto's mind — his sister's happiness.

"Hey, Naruko-chan…" he whispered softly into the shaking girl's ears. Seeing her nod, he continued. "It's okay, I'm here."

"D-Don't…" she choked out, "Don't leave me, no matter what. Promise me Onii-chan!"

Naruto smiled as he raised the girl's head so that he could place a small kiss on her forehead. "Always. That's a promise of lifetime, remember?" he said with a grin.

"I know…" she whispered, before she quickly looked around, seeing the coast was clear before planting a chaste kiss on his lips. "You're _my_ Onii-chan, Naruto-kun. Don't forget that, 'ttebane…"

"Hai, hai…"

Then, just as abruptly as the cheering started, it was just as abruptly ended by a loud crash of breaking windows and a giant banner with the words:

**_Proctor for the Second Exam,_**

**_the Sexy and Single, _**

**_Mitarashi Anko!_**

Suddenly, a figure materialized in front of the banner. Said figure was the distinctive form of tokubetsu-jōnin Mitarashi Anko, who was wearing her trademark mesh shirt and khaki shorts complete with brown trench coat. Her posture screamed sexy and confident to everyone in the room, and more than a few males were drooling at the purple-haired woman.

She looked around the hall with playful brown eyes. "All right you maggots! No time for celebrating! I'm your proctor for the second exam!" he shouted.

From behind the banner, Ibiki stepped out into view with an amused look on his face.

"You're early Anko…" he began. "And you really just killed the mood."

Anko had the decency to look sheepish as she glanced around the room, and judging by the widening of her eyes, Naruto hazarded a guess that there were an uneven number of participants she had counted.

"Sixty-One…" Anko muttered, turning her gaze towards Naruto, who just returned the stare. "Ibiki, you must be slipping old man — you let _twenty_ teams through?" she asked her tone disbelieving.

Ibiki shrugged. "Well, we have a good crop this year." He said easily.

"Hah!" Anko scoffed loudly. "When I'm done with them, I'll cut their numbers down by _half_! And that doesn't include the preliminaries that Hokage-sama had planned! Alright you kiddies, get your butts moving to Training Ground 44! We're moving up our timetable and moving the second part of the Chūnin Exams to today."

The change surprised Naruto enough that it warranted his slight concern. What was the Sandaime planning? The first time around the second part wasn't due until the next day after the first part. He filed that thought away for later when he met Hiruzen again. The wizened Hokage must have good reasons for moving up the schedule.

When Anko disappeared, Naruto was already on the move as he gathered Naruko and the rest of Team 7 together. Naruko had to literally drag the Last Uchiha by the scruff of his neck just to get him to meet up with her brother.

"Alright guys, link your arms so that at least part of you is touching the other." Naruto instructed. "We're going to shushin over to the Training Grounds."

The members of Team 7 perked up at this as they immediately linked their arms together — in Sasuke's case, he put his hand on Sakura shoulder, albeit reluctantly while Naruko clung onto Naruto's arm and Sakura was holding onto Naruko's hand. Once done, Naruto gathered his chakra by holding a ram seal.

Remembering several lessons ago when Naruto had taught her the basics of the Body Flicker Technique, she couldn't help but ask, mentally of course.

_– __Hey, Onii-chan. – _she called. _– Isn't shushin only capable of transporting only one additional passenger? –_

The response she got made her giddy and extremely happy that Naruto agreed to be her boyfriend.

_– __Who said anything about shushin? – _he asked cheekily, before he discharged his chakra.

The place where Team 7 and Naruto once stood was now empty, save for the added effects of swirling leaves to cover up the usage as a shushin and not an S-rank technique…

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

About half an hour later, the genin who had passed the first exam were now gathered in front of Konoha's Training Ground 44. Team 7 was already there, standing off to the side as they watched the other genin pass through the muster field. Sasuke looked particularly smug for being early as he eyed the other participants, onyx eyes challenging anyone who met his gaze.

Naruto sighed as he glanced at the foreboding forest sealed up behind tall fences with multiple signs draped all over the length of the fencing. Most of the sign's language was clear: 'WARNING! DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION' written in big red letters for added emphasis.

The sense of foreboding was less this time since Naruto was confident that he could deal with whatever horrors that came his way, but it didn't disguise the fact that Orochimaru was going to get his fangs into Sasuke, and he couldn't stop it even if he wanted to.

Naruko meanwhile just looked beyond the fences and far into the darkened forest, which consisted of giant trees with twisted and warped roots and the sounds emanating from the forest were chilling and nerve-wracking. Even having experienced the feeling of the forest through her brother's memories, the real thing was far more terrifying compared to a distant memory. She unconsciously squeezed her beloved's hand in comfort, receiving a comforting squeeze in return.

Silently praying to Kami to watch over him and his loved ones, Naruto steeled himself as Anko shushined into place in front of the crowd with her hands on her hips.

"Okay kids, welcome to Training Ground 44, otherwise known to us locals as 'the Forest of Death'!" Anko shouted; the glee evident on her features as she watched more than one genin gulp nervously at the ominous name. "Your task during this second part of the exams is a survival test! You lot will be given a scroll — one for each team, and let into the forest. You have five, I repeat, _five_ days to get a scroll of the opposite type, and get to the center of the forest where there is a tower for you to rest up. Oh, and don't open your scrolls before you get to the tower. If not, well… you'll soon find out, won't you? Your whole team has to get there though, and in one piece. Any questions?"

"What do we do about food?" Chōji, as expected, shouted out.

Anko grinned. "There are all kinds of edible plants and animals that live in the forest, just don't eat any plants that are poisonous or hunt any animal bigger than your house and you'll be fine!" she said cheerfully, thoroughly enjoying the looks of fear etched onto many of the children's faces.

"Any other questions?" she asked, looking around the field. She then spotted the blonde haired, blue eyed genin from before that had shushined his entire team to the clearing — which still left her gaping jawed, she had to admit, was looking far into the forest appearing deep in thought.

_'__Ah, a victim!'_ Anko thought in sadistic pleasure as she whipped out a kunai and shushined directly behind the distracted blonde.

Anko, the Snake Mistress of Konoha, expected a lot of things, but being held back by sword point almost touching her chest while feeling the tip of a kunai at her neck was not even close to what she was expecting.

Carefully glancing down, she saw the blonde kid holding some sort of katana in a reverse grip while still gazing into the forest, the tip of the blade aimed at her heart — she had been with T &amp; I long enough to know the entirety of the human body due to her gruesome work. Looking slightly behind her, there stood girl with long blonde hair and violet eyes holding her neck hostage with a kunai, eyes promising pain if the wrong move made in the purple-haired woman's part.

Nodding slightly to herself, she let out a loud laugh as she dropped her kunai, signaling her surrender. Anko couldn't help but grin at the two blonde haired kids' coordination — it _had_ to be top notch if they could take _her_, a tokubetsu-jōnin off-guard easily — and they're Konoha shinobi to boot! Oh, she was looking forward to their progress in the future.

"Not bad you two," Anko said with a giant grin. "I thought I picked out small fry when I attacked you gaki, just to make a point to the other kids — looks like I was wrong, big time."

Naruto grinned as he lowered his new katana and sheathed it inside his jacket to create the illusion of him hiding his scabbard inside his jacket, which in actual fact was him sheathing inside a storage seal. Nodding his head with a smile at his sister, the blonde beauty lowered her kunai and relaxed her stance just enough to not be caught off-guard.

"No worries, Mitarashi-san." He said pleasantly with a small bow. "Looks can be deceiving, as most of us can attest to. You attacked me because you thought I was in a daydream, while in reality I was hyperaware of my surroundings when I'm thinking. A habit I suppose."

He glanced at Naruko who took his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers together. "And of course, you underestimated my Naruko-chan here, and that's what caused you to be in the situation that you just found yourself in a while ago."

Anko shook her head as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, ignoring the snickers coming from her colleagues and also the genin hopefuls.

Suddenly sensing something behind her, Anko spun around to see the _weirdest_ thing she had ever borne witness to: a Kusagakure kunoichi with an elongated tongue, holding out the fallen kunai to her with the tongue wrapped around it.

"I believe thisss issss yoursss?" the Kusa-nin hissed out, dipping her straw hat politely.

Anko frowned at the woman and gave out a tense grin. She took the offered kunai and nodded in thanks before disappearing to the front of the group.

Unbeknown to both kunoichi, Naruto was seething on the inside as he immediately noticed the foul chakra emanating from the woman. Unpleasant memories from his youth assaulted his mind as he fought to remain calm. Orochimaru was here, and he was right there.

Orochimaru. _Orochimaru. __**Orochimaru.**_

All of a sudden, he felt his anger simmer down and the rest of his rage leave him as he felt the comforting warmth of Naruko's hand in his and the warm nudge through their bond. Squeezing the hand in his, he nodded gratefully to her with a smile.

_– __Thank you, Naruko-chan. – _He said.

_– __I'm here for you, Onii-chan. – _she replied soothingly. _– You are not alone anymore, remember that. Whether it's Orochimaru or someone just as monstrous, you don't have to face them alone. –_

Naruto took a deep, cleansing breath, before letting it out and nodded.

_– __Yeah… I'm not alone anymore…– _he said with emotion, squeezing Naruko's hand in comfort.

He noticed Anko go into one of the booths and came out again with a full stack of papers, which she deposited on a small table.

"Oh, and one more thing," she began cheerfully. "Before you kids go in and start killing one another, you all need to sign a waiver form. This form ensures that Konoha will not be responsible for you in the event if, oh I don't know, get swallowed by a giant snake or get viciously maimed by something or get killed by other teams, stuff like that. Once your entire team hands in their waiver forms, you'll get your scroll."

One by one, the genin all signed their forms and got their scrolls. Some of the genin, like the ones from Amegakure and Iwagakure, were looking at the paper like it's their death sentences. Some others, like the Kusa Team and Kabuto's team, just signed theirs right away.

Naruto frowned as he signed his own slip of paper and proceeded into one of the booths handing out the scrolls. Team 7 came out with their own scrolls, which was kept by Sakura as she was easily overlooked and was considered the 'weak link', but those that think so were in for a rude awakening. Naruko gave a chaste kiss to his cheek as she passed him, sending him a coy wink before walking away, leaving a slightly stunned Naruto behind.

Shaking his head amusement at his sister's antics, Naruto stepped forward and received his own scroll — an Earth scroll. Nodding to himself, he was about to head out to the gate when a hand on his shoulder stopped him, causing him to turn his attention towards a smirking Anko. He mentally sighed at his misfortune; _of course_ he won't be let off _that_ easily.

"Not so fast, hotshot." She said, "Since you're a special case in this exam, we figured we'd give you a harder challenge to complete than the other teams, seeing as your combat prowess alone is greater than a standard genin team from what Hokage-sama has told me. So here's the deal — instead of one Earth and one Heaven scroll, you need _two_ of each before they can let you pass in the tower. You got that kid?"

Naruto nodded with small bow of his head. "Crystal Mitarashi-san."

"And cut the crap with the '–san', just call me Anko." The purple haired woman said with a small wave of dismissal. "Anyone who can catch me off-guard like that deserves to call me by my given name."

"Then call me Naruto then." Naruto said with a smile, bowing slightly at the waist. Seeing the woman smirk at him, he grinned. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Anko."

With that parting shot, he pivoted on his heels and walked off.

Arriving at one of the gates, Naruto mentally prepared himself for the coming challenge, as he was sure the entire opposition would be gunning for him thanks to Sasuke and Kabuto. He would just have to deal with it, seeing as he needed four scrolls to finish his part of the test. Checking his kunai and shuriken holsters once more, along with his utility pouch which was stocked with smoke bombs and light bombs — his two favorite utility items; he nodded to himself and adjusted his hoodie jacket.

Tightening his headband, he double checked his sealing supplies and the seals containing his extra weapons and supplies. Once everything was checked out, he flipped out a kunai as he absentmindedly started twirling it with his finger through the hoop at the end of the handle, waiting for the starting signal.

_– __You be careful now, alright Naruko-chan? – _Naruto sent to his girlfriend. _– Don't let Orochimaru get the drop on you. –_

_– __Hai. – _came the reply. _– I won't let you down…–_

_'__It's _me_ letting _you_ down that has me worried…' _Naruto thought solemnly to himself. Shaking his head to clear those depressing thoughts, he calmed himself down and let another emotion take over: determination.

Determination to protect Naruko.

Determination to change things for the better.

Determination to see through the task he was given till the bitter end.

At sound of the buzzer going off and the metal grates swinging open, Naruto braced himself as he dashed into the forest, determination filling him to the brim, unknowingly enhancing his speed to extraordinary proportions with his chakra as he kept on running.

_He will succeed!_

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

**Erm… surprise?**

**Sorry for the late updates everyone. I'm too caught up with my college studies and my final exam is just around the corner, so I need to prepare for the exams that will determine my future. Anyhow, finally moving on with the fluff and YES! Naruto asked his sister out, even though it's Naruko who accidentally confessed to him. **

**So, how do you like the introduction to the Chūnin Exams? I know, I know, you lot would probably be screaming at me for being an ass for leaving hanging there. **

**What is Naruto going to do when he couldn't interfere with events that were supposed to happen? Could he survive the second part of the exams and take Naruko out on her date? (Stupid question, I know, but I'm running out of things to write, so here!) Trust me on this, Naruto will be ****_very_**** strong during the exams — he's technically Kage-level while moving in a thirteen year old body, so yeah, he will be slightly OP but not Uber-Godlike. He has to hold back so that Naruko can catch up to his level and ****_then_**** he can unleash hell onto Black bloody Zetsu. **

**Oh, I've hit 675 reviews and over 2k follows and over 1k favorites a few weeks ago.**

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**Yeah…**

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**OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLYYYYYYY FUUUUUUUUCCKKKKIINNG SHIT! THANK YOU GUYS SO SO SO MUCH! (T0T) YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THAT MEANS TO ME! I remember a time when my review count was 35 on my first month, but now it's many times more than that, so, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you. (bows deeply)**

**So anyways, here's another chapter for Destiny Rebirth. Wait for the next instalment people! **

**This is HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE!**


	16. The Forest of Death! Snakes and Curses!

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Sixteen: The Forest of Death! Snakes and Curses!**

* * *

Konoha Training Ground 44.

'The Forest of Death'.

How one of Konohagakure no Sato's training grounds earned such an ominous name was a mystery to all. Some say it was the Shodai Hokage who christened it as such when he and Uchiha Madara built the village's foundations all those years ago. Some even said that a very powerful missing-ninja made the forest encompassing the training grounds his resting place and his spirit continues to haunt any and all who pass through it till this day. Conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory was made, each one more ludicrous than the last.

No one knows for sure who or when the name was coined, but it certainly stuck as accredited by the larger than average predators that roam the eerie forest. The trees of the forest were also warped and grew into gigantic proportions that some of the trees were as tall as the Hokage Mansion. It was an unnerving combination of awe and trepidation when one ventured into the forest from the outside.

To veteran shinobi, Training Ground 44 provided an interesting challenge when they went training as the forest alone provided the perfect setting for a survival training exercise — dodging poisonous or man-eating plants to killer predators larger than an average house kept one constantly on their toes.

To raw genin who were participating in the second part of the Chūnin Exams, it was_ hell on Earth._

That was what a group of Amegakure genin felt when they killed their _seventh_ giant bear that wanted them for dinner in the span of two days. The distinctive yellow jumpsuits and breathing masks they wore could not disguise the fact that they were terrified out of their wits. They expected the Chūnin Exams to be hard, but in their minds, this was _insane_.

On their first day, they tried to ambush the Konoha team with the Uchiha, but ended up abandoning the plan before they even initiated it because they didn't know that there was a _sensor_ with them! No one said anything about the new Konoha genin possessing the rare talent of sensing, and the three Ame genin bugged out before they were detected.

And now here they were, fighting for their lives in a forest that wanted to kill them just as much as the other teams.

"This is insane!" one of the genin shouted. "That's the seventh giant bear that tried to kill us! This forest's trying to kill us I tell you guys!"

The apparent leader fixed his teammate with a stern glare.

"Stop your whining, you moron!" he reprimanded harshly. "I don't like this anymore than you do but we have to keep moving — we need our scrolls if we want to pass."

"Yeah, if we even survive to pass this stupid test…" the last member grumbled.

The leader sighed.

"Have we heard from the other teams?" he asked. There were six Amegakure genin teams in this exam, and he hoped they could link up and ambush the other teams and decrease their competition even more.

The whining member shook his head. "Nope, not a word — do you think something happened to them?"

"Doubt it." The leader replied. "They are stronger than us, so anyone who can take them out of the fight has to be insanely strong…"

The last member was about to say something when all of them heard the crunch of grass and the breaking of twigs coming from nearby, causing them to tense up in alertness.

Holding his hand up for silence, the leader drew a kunai and dropped into a defensive stance, his two teammates quickly went beside him as they formed a protective circle, back-to-back, scanning their surroundings in all angles.

It was dark out as it was nearly seven in the evening, and visibility was getting poorer by the minute. Only the moonlight provided any sort of illumination to the three as they held their ground.

"Keep your eyes peeled, check every nook and cranny." The leader whispered his instructions. "Don't let anything get the drop on you."

He needn't have bothered, as they just made a rookie mistake. While scanning your surroundings in a circle provided a perfect three-sixty corridor for detecting incoming attacks, they had forgotten to _look up_.

That was why when a smoke bomb containing purple-colored smoke dropped out of nowhere in the middle of their formation, the trio was caught by surprise, and they made their surprise known.

"What the fu—?"

That was all the whining idiot got out when he felt _something_ connect with the back of his head, and his world went black.

The leader however was more prepared as he jumped out of the billowing smoke cloud, clearing both his eyes and nostrils as he coughed. The last member, who was halfway out the smoke cover, was not as lucky when a black blur dropped onto his back, its foot digging the boy's head into the dirt. He was out before he even registered the pain.

Seeing two of his teammates get taken down in the span of a few seconds, a frantic Ame genin team leader was left to deal with the unknown assailant who disappeared into the smoke cloud. Attaching a paper bomb to his kunai, he threw it into the cloud and he watched the resulting explosion blowing away the smoke from the clearing, leaving his two unconscious teammates behind.

He was about to move forward and help when he felt the air painfully leave his lungs, only then did he register he was being elbowed in the gut. His muddled mind couldn't comprehend the next few moments and the only sensation he felt during those seconds was _pain_.

When it was finally over, he gratefully submitted himself to the painful bliss of unconsciousness.

As the three Amegakure genin lay on the ground in unconscious heaps, the moonlight filtered in through the tree canopy just enough to illuminate the face of one Uzumaki Naruto who stood there with a disappointed expression on his face, shaking his head in exasperation.

_'__Too easy.' _He thought absently as he proceeded to tie up the three boys with ninja wire. _'No wonder Amegakure needed a kick in the butt by Nagato and Konan __— __their genin are so weak even _Ino_ could beat them if she tried.'_

Rummaging through the genin's pockets, he finally pulled out what he was looking for — a Heaven scroll. Tucking it in his jacket pocket storage seal, he then looted what supplies he could from the unconscious trio — shuriken, kunai, water, food etcetera, leaving just enough for the three to survive.

Standing, Naruto looked up at the darkened skies thinking about the past two days. On the first day, he obtained his second Earth scroll from a wandering Kusa team who weren't paying attention when Kabuto gave his show-and-tell, and thinking he was easy prey, cornered him not five hundred steps from the gate.

Unsurprisingly, they were soundly beaten by him without having to resort to any jutsu other than a well-timed shushin.

He then proceeded to set up camp for the night after looting whatever supplies he could from the Kusa team and formed a scaled-down version of his chakra barrier he used during training, effectively protecting him for the night.

This morning on the second day, he was awoken by the sounds of battle. Curiosity getting the better of him, he witnessed the Ame genin team he just disabled fending off against a giant bear, and judging by their almost well-rehearsed roles and tactics, they had been fighting these beasts more than once.

So that led to him trailing them for most of the day before eventually waiting for them to tire themselves out before he struck.

Child's play.

Naruto sighed to himself as he jumped away from the clearing and back to his shelter for the night, which was a hollowed out tree trunk. Taking a swig of water from his canteen and a bite from his ration bar — which still tasted like cardboard, he noted dryly — he performed the necessary procedures needed for his barrier fūinjutsu before activating it and preparing to turn in for the night.

But before that, he needed to make a call.

_– __Naruko-chan… – _he called through the bond. _– Are you free to talk? –_

After a small pause, the melodic voice of his sister / girlfriend filled his mindscape, warming his heart at hearing it once more.

_– __For you Onii-chan, anytime. – _Naruko replied, though a small hint of exhaustion can be heard in her tone. _– Damn it, you weren't joking when you said this place sucks. I feel like I've been fighting for my life for a week when it's been only two days. I can't wait to get out of here, 'ttebane…–_

Naruto could imagine the cute pout on the blonde beauty's lips at the moment, the image in his mind making him chuckle.

_– __I feel you, Naruko-chan. – _he chuckled_, _before his tone changed to concern. _– Be careful tomorrow Hime-sama (Princess); Orochimaru's going attack you guys soon. I'll be there the second I sense you're in trouble, count on it. –_

He could feel her trepidation through the bond, and he sent a warm nudge back, effectively calming the girl's nerves, though the fear was simmering under the surface.

_– __I'll be careful, Onii-chan. – _she sent back, along with a wave of reassurance. _– Besides, I need to prove to you that your training with me was not a waste, and I have become stronger than I ever thought possible in the short amount of time when you came into my life. –_

_– __Naruko-chan…– _Naruto breathed out, touched by his sister's willingness to prove herself to him, even though it was a moot point to do so as she had more than proven herself to him in more ways than one._ – You don't have to prove anything to me. I'm already proud of you, remember that. –_

_– __Hai…–_ Naruko sent back. _– Well, it's getting late and Sasuke has first watch. Good night, Onii-chan. –_

_– __Good night. Sweet dreams Hime-sama. – _Naruto sent back, smiling to himself when he felt her blush. She was just so fun to tease.

And with that, Naruto closed his eyes and surrendered himself to the warm embrace of sleep, mind filled with phantom images and worries of the days to come.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

Naruko cursed loudly as she dodged the lunge from the giant snake that came out of nowhere, trying to swallow her alive. Drawing a few shurikens into her palms, she back flipped another lunge before twisting her body around in midair, releasing her throwing stars as she did so.

The stars found their mark dead-on, only to bounce off the snake's scales like it was nothing.

She growled in annoyance at the snake, which hissed back at her angrily while rearing its body back for another strike. Naruko wondered how her day had gone from bad to worse in the span of a few hours.

When she had woken up in the morning with Naruto's warning still fresh in her mind, she had warned her teammates to be careful, telling them that it was her gut feeling acting up. Her sensory skills were also in overdrive, with her trying to detect any and everything that entered her eight hundred yard sensing range.

Team 7 had come to a clearing in the middle of some tall tress which allowed sunlight to filter through uninterrupted — the first Naruko had seen, since the forest's foliage were thicker than her favorite broth of ramen. It was then her sensing was immediately triggered by a _massive_ source of chakra and before she got the word off to her team, a strong gust of wind hit all three of them.

Naruko was hit especially hard as she was blown away by the wind which carried her a fair distance away from Sasuke and Sakura, while leaving her two teammates a bit ruffled but still standing. After recovering from the wind attack in which she was positive it was deliberate, Naruko was suddenly set upon by the huge snake that wanted to swallow her whole.

And now she was in a standoff between her and the snake, kunai in hand as she settled into her favored stance. She needed to be quick if she hoped to catch up to her teammates while facing against Orochimaru.

They wouldn't last very long, she noted grimly.

The snake let out another hiss before lunging, and Naruko swore she had never seen a reptile of that size move that _fast_ before. Barely jumping to one side to avoid its sharp fangs, she was forced to jump away again to avoid its lightning fast tail. She cursed again. She was going nowhere and the snake was obviously delaying her from reaching her friends.

She had about enough of this farce.

Forming her favorite cross sign, she yelled. "I don't have time for this! **Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**"

She hated resorting to brute force tactics, but in this case, she needed the distraction.

Hundreds of Naruko copies filled the clearing after her shout, all with kunai in hand and ready to attack. The snake hissed angrily before it began its own attack, followed by the yells of hundreds of blonde haired kunoichi as they too charged.

One by one, pop after pop, Naruko's shadow clones were dispelled one after another by the lightning fast strikes of the snake. Smoke caused by shadow clones dispelling covered the clearing while the clones had a hard time seeing, the snake wasn't even bothered as it relied on its sense of smell and hearing to track its prey.

The last Naruko clone took a tail to her chest before dispelling, leaving a giant snake still in search of its elusive catch.

It didn't have to wait long, as its hearing senses were overwhelmed by the sound of rotating vortexes. Swiveling its body and head around to where the noise originated, it was greeted with its face full of glowing, blue energy swirling through the smoke.

It didn't stand a chance.

Naruko smirked as she dropped down from a tree branch above the snake, just where she had instructed her clones to put it, a fully charged Rasengan in her hand, slamming into its head with loud roar of "**Rasengan!**" She watched as the reptile's head disintegrated into meat and bone before disappearing in a plume of white smoke — reverse summoning.

That confirmed Naruko's worst fears: Orochimaru was here.

Quickly dusting her clothes off and recollecting her used weapons, Naruko tree-hopped all the way in the direction where she came from, just in time to see Orochimaru — his disgustingly long neck extended towards Sasuke's right neck, the man's fangs already sunk into the boy. Sakura was a few feet behind the Uchiha Heir, clutching onto her stomach in pain as the pink-haired girl's expression had paled considerably at the grotesque display.

Sasuke suddenly let out a blood curdling scream of pain as foul, purplish black chakra seeped into the puncture marks on his neck, before he passed out from the overwhelming pain.

Cackling in satisfaction, the Snake Sannin licked his lips with a smirk as his gaze fell onto Naruko who had just jumped into the clearing to help Sakura, who had fallen unconscious due to exhaustion and pain. Yellow snake-like eyes widened just a fraction before a sinister chuckle rumbled from him.

"Oh, so the little girl is more skilled than I thought." His slimy voice said, amused. "Looks like all the fuss that Kabuto fellow stirred up back at the Academy building holds some truth to them."

Naruko glared at the man, showing no outward signs that indicated that she already knew Kabuto was the missing-nin's right-hand man. Dropping into a defensive posture, she mentally prepared for the fight of her life, warming up her chakra coils as she warily watched the snake-like man. Even with Kurama's chakra, she wasn't sure she would come out of this fight in one piece.

She would just have to fight smart.

"Not surprising, since for a shinobi of your caliber, gathering information like that is child's play for you." Naruko said icily, stalling for time. "So, what does Orochimaru of the Sannin want from lowly genin like us?"

Orochimaru seemed amused for a moment, before deciding to humor her.

"Oh, it's none of your business Naruko-_chan_." He replied, making Naruko shiver in disgust at the man's twisted usage of the suffix. "My business is with your teammate over there, for I desire the coveted Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan. I'm sure he would be grateful for the gift that I gave him."

"What do you mean?" she asked accusingly, betraying no outward signs that she already knew the Cursed Seal of Heaven to the man.

Orochimaru cackled. "In time, little girl," He said in amusement. "In time, your teammate would crave for more power, power that I'm all too willing to provide. Mark my words, he _will_ come to me for more power — power to kill his brother."

Naruko tensed at the man's words, and Naruto's warning about Sasuke came back full force into her mind. _'Sasuke turned his back on his friends because he wanted power to kill his brother…'_ her brother's words echoed through her consciousness. Shaking her head to clear those unwanted thoughts; she breathed a calming breath before glaring at the man in front of her.

"Now that you got what you came for, I would advise you to leave." She said stoically, "Your little stunt would not go unnoticed by the Jōnin surrounding the forest — they will be here soon and put a stop to you."

As expected, Orochimaru just laughed in derision at her words, a confident but evil smirk pulled at his lips.

"I'd like to see them try." He replied, licking his lips. "No one in this pathetic village can stop me — not even your precious Sandaime Hokage."

Knowing she needed to buy some time for backup to arrive, and keep her teammates safe, Naruko knew she needed to stall the Snake Sannin — a _very_ tall order to fill given that the man was one of the strongest shinobi in the world.

"Konoha is more than one man — it is an _ideal._" she found herself rebuking the man's words, "And that ideal will not die with a single man. Not even the deaths of a dozen — a hundred men and women will the ideal die out. So long as even _one_ Konoha shinobi lives on, the 'Will of Fire' and Konoha's dream will survive!"

That was Konoha's true strength, Naruko thought in realization. The strength of one person, no matter how powerful, will always be just that — one person; take Naruto for example. But put together two, three, a dozen, a hundred similarly talented individuals working together towards the same goal — supporting one another, gaining strength in protecting each other — _that_ was where true strength lies. One couldn't go through life's challenges alone, she realized.

Only together will they gain strength to overcome these trying times. Not because of the time-old adage 'strength in numbers', but because of the strength that comes in the bonds between comrades. With it, one could even make the impossible, possible.

But, to people like Orochimaru, they would _never _understand the meaning of true power.

As expected, Orochimaru cackled.

"_That's_ what you believe in? That's what the old fool's been filling your head with? Don't make me laugh, girl!" he ranted, spreading his arms in a grandiose manner. "When I'm through with this pathetic excuse of a village, I will rebuild it — make it stronger upon the corpses of the weak-minded cowards that populate this accursed village!"

"But enough of that," Orochimaru suddenly stopped, the smirk on his face widening to disgusting proportions. "I've divulged too much information to you already, little girl. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to kill you now."

He suddenly unleashed the full brunt of his Killing Intent (KI) on the blonde girl, expecting her to freeze up, fall to her knees, or wanting to kill herself out of fright. Imagine his surprise and shock when the girl withstood his KI without so much as a blink, only arching a thin eyebrow at him mockingly that surprisingly angered him.

"Was that supposed to scare me?" Narukos said with a smirk. "Please, Kyūbi's Killing Intent when he's angry is a hundred times worse than yours. Compared to him, yours look pitiful by comparison."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "So, _you're _the Kyūbi Jinchuriki?" he mused. "I've figured as much — your reserves are far too large for any normal genin. No matter, I am still way out of your league little girl. Let me show you…"

Naruko's danger senses flared just in time for her to jump away from several snakes that shot out from the man's sleeves. Righting herself in midair, she threw several shurikens at him while drawing two kunai, holding them in reverse grips as the Sannin easily dodged the throwing stars. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Naruko was forced to backpedal as she fended off the lightning fast strikes of the Sannin, whose stance was befitting of his affinity — the snake style taijutsu, which he utilized masterfully.

But she was no pushover either, she mused to herself as she slipped past one of Orochimaru's jabs to hit the man at the shoulder, her kunai sinking into the man's flesh, making him stumble back a few feet, allowing her to catch her breath and assess her situation.

Orochimaru looked up at the girl in interest. "Well, it looks like I've underestimated you, little girl." he chuckled. "You managed to land a hit on me. Not many people lived long enough to do that to me, and a mere genin such as yourself did where others failed. Looks like Kabuto was not exaggerating about you being a prodigy…" he pulled out the offending appendage from his shoulder, letting it fall to the forest floor.

Dropping into her preferred defensive stance, Naruko narrowed her eyes, not answering to the man's words. Her heart was pounding like crazy, fear threatening to grip onto her conscience like a leech on flesh. Only the calming waves of chakra flowing from Kurama and the reassurance that Naruto was on his way eased her mind enough to focus on the task at hand, which was to stay alive.

"You are interesting, I'll give you that much little girl." Orochimaru said with narrowed eyes. "But playtime's over — time to _die!_"

At that parting shout, several snakes shot out from his sleeves, all heading towards her with their fangs bared and ready to strike. Acting on her reflexes as Naruto taught her, Naruko maneuvered around the flying snakes' trajectory, slicing through each of the reptiles at the head with her kunai.

She didn't have time to react when Orochimaru suddenly appeared in front of her and kicked her in the stomach, forcing the air out of her lungs and sending her flying backwards. Skidding to halt, she barely managed to raise her arms in a cross guard, just in time for the man to send another powerful kick her way, sending her skidding further away until her back made contact with the bark of a tree.

Suppressing the urge to cry out in pain, Naruko widened her eyes before dodging to the side as dozens of snakes occupied the place where she had been. Sensing danger to her side, Naruko managed to dodge another kick by Orochimaru, going through several hand signs before crying out.

"**Fūton: Daitoppa! (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)**"

A blast of wind erupted from the blonde girl's mouth, hitting the man squarely in the chest and sending him flying back. Drawing several more shurikens from her holster, she channeled chakra into them before throwing them, going through another set of hand signs. "**Shuriken Kage Bunshin! (Shuriken Shadow Clone)**"

Orochimaru shook his head as a veritable wave of shurikens barreled down on him, making him smirk as they pierced his body all over.

Naruko watched as her attack hit home, and just when she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Orochimaru disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a shuriken-riddled log behind.

Whirling around, she barely managed to block a punch aimed for her face, but the follow up punch to her gut she wasn't so lucky. Crying out in pain, the man sent another punch at her, sending her careening to the ground. Rolling onto her stomach while pushing her battered body to stand, Naruko looked up to see the man holding a curled open hand, each fingertip glowing with power.

"Very impressive little girl, you managed to last this long against me even though I was holding back." Orochimaru sneered as he cackled. "But I've had enough of games. I'll end this before you tap into the Kyūbi's chakra, and the best way to do that is to seal it!"

Naruko's violet eyes widened in fear, as she shakily held her arms out in front of her in a blocking position. Her mind whirled with ideas, plans, counter-plans along with multiple scenarios, all of which ended with her unconscious and at the mercy of the slimy man.

Orochimaru was about to leap forward and end this farce once and for all, when a voice suddenly and unexpectedly sounded from behind him.

"Hey, bastard!" the voice of one Uzumaki Naruto called out, lazily yawning as he did. "Do you mind leaving her alone? It's not nice to treat a lady that way. Didn't your mother teach you any manners?"

Naruko jumped slightly, before releasing a startled laugh when she recognized that _very_ familiar voice. Only Naruto would be so reckless (and foolish enough) as to insult one of the legendary Sannin. But, then again, Naruto wasn't a _normal_ ninja in every sense of the word.

Orochimaru slowly whipped his head around to stare at the bold, and in his mind stupid, blonde boy who had just insulted him. Now, he wasn't offended by the mother comment, but he was amused at the boy's suicidal bravery. Smirking, he turned around fully to face the boy.

"Ah, welcome, my dear boy," he sneered, a greedy glint appearing in the man's eyes. "You must be the extraordinary Genin I've heard so much about, the one who defeated Momochi Zabuza in battle in one-on-one combat. You are one _very_ talented boy, Uzumaki Naruto-kun."

Naruto remained silent while still keeping his aloof persona intact — Naruto hadn't _officially_ met the man yet, only second-hand accounts from Kabuto most likely. He hadn't given the white-haired spy enough time to gauge and observe his mannerisms for Orochimaru to recognize that his aloofness was an overt act, courtesy of a certain Hatake.

Naruto had come as fast as he could once he had detected Orochimaru's chakra within Naruko's vicinity. Nothing makes his blood boil more than seeing his girlfriend hurt, judging by the bruises and the pained but happy look on her dainty face.

And he was going vent _all_ of his rage and frustrations on one single outlet — Orochimaru.

"I didn't know I was so famous already," he replied airily, "I should have that guy who told you about me sued for libel."

Orochimaru didn't even twitch.

"I didn't know that you were a comedian either — are you so confident that I won't just kill your sister," he gestured at Naruko, who tensed. "Just to see your reaction before I _finally_ kill you out of pity, right here, right now?"

To the Snake Sannin's surprise, Naruto barked out a laugh.

"Kill her? Are you serious?" he wheezed out between laughs before stopping abruptly. He then leveled a burning glare, and _all_ of his KI at Orochimaru making the pale-skinned man stumble slightly at the _potency _of the intent. "You wouldn't even get the chance to _look at her_ once I'm through with you! **Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!**"

Naruto held out only two fingers to his mouth before a massive fireball erupted from the ends on his lips. Orochimaru's eyes widened — the boy only used _one_ seal to activate a C-rank Fire Release ninjutsu! Not even _he,_ the great Snake Sannin of Konoha, could even _remotely_ do that!

He didn't have time to ponder as he immediately dodged the speeding fireball which exploded at where he had been standing a few seconds before. Snarling, Orochimaru turned back towards Naruto before attacking, intent on killing the boy for doing something that not even _he_ could do! _He _was the master of all ninjutsu in the world, not some no-name boy!

Naruto was surprised at the near palpable anger that Orochimaru was releasing. He briefly wondered what he had done to trigger such a reaction from the normally unflappable Sannin before he was forced to dodge to the side from the pale-skinned man's vicious strike.

By using the ground as a springboard when performing a handstand to break his fall, Naruto proceeded to slam both his feet into the man's side. Taken off guard, Orochimaru barely brought his arms up to block the boy's attacked which sent him skidding a fair distance away before stopping. If the situation weren't so dire, Naruto would've laughed at the man's priceless expression.

Orochimaru quickly recovered from his shock, lashing out with a kick at the boy's side with enough force to break bone. Naruto, seeing this, easily ducked under the kick, releasing his gravity seals before he pounced as he quite literally _blurred_ into motion.

The Snake Sannin was shocked. One moment, the boy was ducking under his kick before disappearing in the next. He then realized what was going on when his well-honed instincts _screamed_ at him to turn around. He did, and was immediately forced to block a rather nasty kick aimed at his face from the blonde boy.

The fight went on for several minutes, with a frustrated Orochimaru being put on the defensive by Naruto who was constantly blurring in and out of motion, using his exceptional speed to his advantage. If it wasn't for the fact that he could hear and sense the direction and irregular patterns of Naruto's attacks, Orochimaru would've thought the boy was using the Hiraishin, no matter how unlikely the possibility of the boy having learnt it.

Not even the Uchiha Clan could replicate the prized and highly-sought-after jutsu, and they possessed the Sharingan which could copy all ninjutsu. Apparently, that wasn't case seeing that the Hiraishin was out of their capabilities, and in turn out of _Orochimaru's_ reach.

Although it irked the pale-skinned man greatly, he wasn't upset or worried — after all, what were the chances of anyone other than the Nidaime and Yondaime utilizing such a powerful technique? The mere idea of it was so absurd it was laughable.

Seeing an opening, Orochimaru shot out two snakes from his sleeves at a spot he predicted the boy to appear. As expected, Naruto did appear. But the man's short-lived glee was shattered when Naruto easily sliced the heads off the two reptiles with his kunai, rending them harmless. Growling in rage, Orochimaru closed the distance between them in a blink before landing a solid kick on the boy's chest sending the blonde flying backwards before slamming into a tree, leaving a sizable indent in the wood as he did.

Before he could begin gloating at the boy, Orochimaru was forced to dodge to the side when Naruko rushed at him, narrowly avoiding her falling axe kick as a result. His snake-like eyes widened in surprise at the small crater she made when her foot connected to the ground, very reminiscent of another female he once knew.

_'__Damn … I knew she was going to be trouble!'_ Orochimaru thought angrily, _'Better to kill her now and be done with it before she becomes a nuisance to me in the future!'_

"Onii-chan, are you alright?!" Naruko cried out in concern, her eyes never straying from the Snake Sannin. She had forced herself to move despite her battered condition when Naruto was kicked away. She would never forgive herself if her precious person was hurt because of her. She couldn't live with herself if he was.

"I'm alright!" she heard Naruto call out. A sigh of relief escaped her throat. "Just a few scratches and bumps — nothing too serious."

The two onlookers watched, one with relief and the other with shock, as Naruto nimbly climbed out of the indent looking daisy fresh and no worse for wear. Now, it was Orochimaru's turn to be stumped. That kick should've caved the boy's chest in!

And the man didn't hesitate to voice his disbelief. "You! How are you still standing after that?! It should've killed a mere _Genin_ like you!" he screeched.

Naruto raised a mocking eyebrow, idly brushing away the dirt on his clothes as he did.

"Well," he began, a smirk finding its way to his lips. "Who said I was just a 'mere' Genin?"

Before Orochimaru had the chance to reply, his instincts warned him of an impending danger forcing him to leap backwards just as the ground he was previously standing on erupted in a cloud of displaced earth. Only his reflexes and muscle memory saved the Snake Sannin from a fist courtesy of _another_ Naruto who had emerged from underground.

Taking his chance, Orochimaru formed his hand into a dagger-like shape before thrusting it into his attacker, who promptly disappeared in a plume of smoke. The man was about to begin taunting Naruto for his poor excuse of an attack when the entire clearing exploded in a huge geyser of earth and rock, and right in the midst of the earthen rainfall were _dozens_ of Narutos barreling down at the Snake Sannin.

"Numbers won't help you, my dear boy!" Orochimaru cackled, releasing a huge stream of snakes from his sleeves and mouth at the oncoming human wave. The snakes easily ripped through the shadow clones, their fragility easy prey for the lightning fast strikes of the snakes.

_'__Shadow clones are easy to dispel _— _I'm only surprised at the __**sheer**__**number**__ of them the brat was able to create!' _he thought, _'His chakra reserves must be monstrous, almost like a Jinchuriki's!'_

He was rudely snapped out of his thoughts when he felt someone grab onto his legs. Looking down, he was horrified to see _another_ clone grabbing onto his legs, grinning wickedly as he did. Orochimaru didn't even had the time to scream in frustration when the Naruto clone pulled him downwards, slamming the man painfully into the dirt. The rest of the shadow clones took advantage of the downed Sannin to literally dogpile themselves on top of the man.

The scene looked rather comical from an outsider's perspective, and Naruko couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the scene.

Naruto landed beside her, clapping once as he did. "Alright boys, you know what to do!" he called, holding up the seal of confrontation. "**Bunshin Daibakuha!**"

As the clones started to glow in the telltale signs of the jutsu, and the last thing Orochimaru heard was his own frustrated screams before being drowned out by the combined explosions of roughly two dozen clones.

Naruto breathed out a sigh a relief. Mud clones or not, Orochimaru wasn't named one of the Legendary Sannin for naught. What the man lacked in raw power and strength he made up for in skill and cunning, which made him even _more_ dangerous than both Jiraiya and Tsunade combined.

Walking forward, Naruto knelt before the charred ground where Orochimaru's mud clone had once stood. He ran his hands over the softened soil, closing his eyes as he stretched out his negative emotions sensing.

"He's gone," he informed, making Naruko look up at him. "It's just a mud clone — the real Orochimaru was never here in the first place."

"As expected," Naruko remarked, wincing at the sharp pain from her stomach. Say what you will about Orochimaru, but he hits hard. "He's too careful to be doing something so reckless, even against Genin."

Hearing the weariness in her tone, Naruto stood and turned around. He spread his arms wide. "Come here, Naruko-chan." He whispered.

Needing no further prodding, Naruko ran into her beloved's embrace as she hugged him tightly around his chest. Naruto hugged her back, immensely relieved that he had made it in time. He mentally berated himself for not camping nearer to his sister/girlfriend, and he resolved to do much better next time.

Apparently, Naruko must've heard his thoughts when she pulled away to smack his chest.

"Ow!" he cried, rubbing his chest to stem the stinging sensation. "What was that for?"

"That's for thinking that I need to be protected all the time," she said. She smacked his arm next, causing Naruto to yelp. "That's for thinking that it was your fault for Orochimaru to show up three hours earlier."

Naruko raised her hand, making Naruto close his eyes as he waited for the expected smack. Naruko smiled at his reaction as she reached up to caress his cheeks, causing Naruto to open his eyes and look at her with those beautiful blue eyes of his. Holding his face in place, she leaned up to plant a chaste, but no less sweet kiss on his stunned lips.

Pulling away, she chuckled at the dazed look in his eyes.

"And _that,_" she said coquettishly, "was for being there when it counted."

Naruto sighed. "Naruko-chan, I'm sor—" he began, but was immediately cut off by another searing kiss from Naruko.

"No apologizing Onii-chan." She began sternly as she pulled away. She cradled his face tenderly, forcing Naruto to look into her eyes. "I was careless and everything that has happened to me so far was a lesson — and I am not planning to make the same mistake twice. _Not again._"

Naruto was indignant however, his ever present overprotectiveness threatening to take hold of him.

"But I was _supposed_ to protect you!" he yelled, although the soft look in his eyes hasn't faded. "What kind of big brother and boyfriend would I be if I can't protect someone who has come to represent my heart and soul?!"

Despite her feeling the heat creeping up her neck, Naruko adamantly stood her ground, trying to convince her boyfriend of almost three days that he was being irrational.

But then again, everything Naruto had done up until now had been more or less irrational, or along the same vein. Though, Naruko admitted, she wasn't far behind him herself in that regard.

"Onii-chan," she began. "As glad as I am to hear you say that, you can't protect me from anything and _everything_ forever, y'know?"

Seeing her brother was about to open his mouth to object, she cut him off smoothly.

"I was the one who chose to walk on the same path as you are, Onii-chan." Naruko said, voice heavy with emotion. "I made a promise to you to become stronger — to stand by your side and not be a burden to you. There will come a time where you can't come to my rescue, and I need to fend for myself. This was one of those times."

Naruto visibly calmed down as his sister's words registered in his mind. As usual, Naruko's more logical thinking tempered his own inherent impulsiveness, managing to calm him down even in the worst of times. That was why Naruko was so amazing in his eyes.

His stubbornness was legendary after all, and only a few people in the world could stand up to it, one of them was the girl in his arms.

Naruko continued to speak, "I realize now even though I am way beyond my peers, I am still a thirteen year old girl and still have much to learn. There will always be some people out there who are stronger than me and you. That is a fact." She said. "That is why I have to get stronger, so when the time came to face these people, I will be right by your side, watching your back as you watch mine. We're in this together Onii-chan, that's a promise."

Naruto shook his head in amazement. Instead of being discouraged or traumatized by Orochimaru's attempt on her life, this girl actually took it as even more motivation to become stronger — a reason he could easily get behind.

Was it any wonder that he had fallen head over heels for this girl?

"Now I _know_ I've heard that somewhere before," he began, chuckling as he held Naruko's shoulders at arm's length. "When I was training to get Sasuke back, and honestly? How can I say no to you? It's your choice to make, and my job to get you there in one piece. As you said, we're in this together, as partners and siblings."

Naruko giggled with a small blush. "And lovers…"

Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, flushing as he grinned like a loon.

She was getting no complaint on that fact from him, that's for sure.

Tending to the rest of Team 7's wounds — Sakura only had minor bruising and Sasuke only had the curse mark throbbing in vile, malevolent chakra — the new couple decided to stick together until they reached the tower, as Naruto only required one more Heaven scroll and Team 7 already had both of their scrolls.

And so, Naruto was unfortunately delegated to carrying Sasuke on his back, while Naruko helped carry Sakura by wrapping her arms around the pink-haired girl's waist as they jumped from tree to tree. About halfway through their journey, Sakura woke up.

She was a bit frantic at first when she remembered Sasuke being bitten, but Naruko managed to calm her down enough for Sakura to move under her own power. She thanked Naruto profusely for saving their lives, prompting Naruto to wave it off.

"I'm a Konoha shinobi, and Konoha shinobi look out for one another." He had simply said.

Moving on her own power now — as much as she could anyway due to her weakened state — Sakura kept up with the two Uzumakis as they dashed through the trees, in the direction of the tower in the middle of the forest.

When asked by the Haruno girl about why he needed two of each scrolls to pass, Naruto admitted a bit sheepishly that since he was a league above the rest of the participants, the proctors of the exam decided to make an exception with him, which basically comes down to giving him harder tasks to accomplish than most.

Sakura only accepted his answer with an understanding nod and a small smile, for she knew just _how_ powerful the seemingly unassuming blonde boy was in an actual fight.

A few hours later, dusk settled over the forest as Naruto and Team 7 found a clearing to settle for the night. Sakura decided to make her newfound skills useful and went about setting up traps around their campsite. Naruko was checking their supplies while Naruto placed Sasuke in a tree hollow that looked all too familiar to him.

Realization suddenly hit Naruto like a Chidori to the face. They were in the same clearing Sakura had dragged them to the first time around when he and Sasuke were both unconscious. Judging by Naruko's reaction to his look around, she too had connected the dots and come to the same conclusion as him.

Once Sakura came back with a satisfied smile on her lips, they ate light dinner before turning in for the night, with Sakura volunteering first watch. As usual, Naruto erected his fūinjutsu barrier before falling asleep with his girlfriend cuddling into him.

He woke up about four hours later when Sakura shook him, which in turn woke up the sleeping beauty in his arms. Taking the second watch with his most favorite person in the world, they readied themselves for when dawn came, they would be having company.

Unfriendly company.

Even with the barrier in place, it didn't stop people from seeing through the transparent barrier. That was the only downside of the scaled down version of his complex fūinjutsu barrier — it kept scent and chakra hidden, but not line of sight.

As the Uzumaki siblings meditated — which they did on regular occasion now when they were bored out of their minds — and when Sakura came out to greet them, the first of Sakura's early warning traps tripped.

Looking at the source of the trip, a rabbit with an explosive tag stuck to its body was the only indication that their place of rest had been found. Reaching out with her senses, Naruko only took one second to identify the intruders.

"In front of us, above in the trees!" she called out, "I sense three of them."

As if Naruko's warning had been the trigger, the three figures dropped down in front of them. The milk patterned clothes and the bandaged boy immediately gave them away as the Otogakure genin team.

The wild, spiky haired boy of the team, Zaku Abumi, immediately sneered at them. "Well, well, looks like our surprise visit isn't such a surprise anymore."

The only girl in the team, Tsuchi Kin if Naruto remembered correctly, said nothing as she glared at Zaku. Naruto was surprised at the girl's hostility towards her teammate, the dark-haired kunoichi was nothing like the cocky and sneering individual Sakura had described whom she fought with when defending against their assault.

Naruto frowned as he adopted a wait and see approach — no doubt this was yet more of the 'ripples' of his arrival in this dimension. He made a mental note to discover what caused such animosity in the girl in the first place.

Communicating with Naruko through their bond, he relayed the information he had conjured and asked Kurama to remind them to discuss it later.

The leader, Dosu Kinuta, merely shook his head as he addressed the Konoha shinobi.

"Step aside," he demanded. "Our quarrel is only with Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto already knew what came next. Deciding to play along with the tune he asked. "What of him?"

"Our mission is to find, and kill, Uchiha Sasuke. Step aside and we'll let you three live." Dosu said cockily, totally disregarding the fact that the boy in front of him had defeated Momochi Zabuza singlehandedly.

Naruto only sighed in response. Taking a step forward, he casually crossed his arms in front of his chest, openly challenging the mummified boy.

"I'm sorry but that won't be necessary." He began, intense cerulean eyes boring holes into each and every member of Team Dosu.

Kin looked like she was the most affected as she took a tentative step back and gulped. She remembered him being mentioned about how he had defeated an A-rank missing-nin on his own. Those intense sapphire orbs confirmed it for her — mess with him, you die. And besides, she thought herself, she only joined the Chūnin Exams for a whole different reason.

Zaku however, was not as bright as his kunoichi teammate, because he yelled. "What do you mean by that, punk?!"

This time, it was Naruko who sighed. Seeing the attractive blonde female walking up to stand beside her brother, Zaku couldn't help but throw in a lewd remark.

"Well girl, if you came to surrender, be my guest! I'll make sure I'll treat you 'extra' special." He sneered.

Zaku's words elicited various reactions from the people around him, mainly the girls as they all looked at him in pure disgust and undisguised loathing. Even Kin, who was glaring daggers into the brash boy's back, her anger at him already at its boiling point. Dosu just acted nonchalant, his only visible eye quirking slightly upwards was the only indication that he had heard his teammate's words.

Naruko, her right eye already twitching horribly and her hand itching towards her weapons pouch, was about to offer a snide retort before a sudden spike of anger came over the bond she shared with her brother, causing her to look sharply at Naruto.

She saw that his head was hung low; the bangs of his unruly blonde hair shadowed his eyes. Nothing seemed to be wrong with him at first glance, but Naruko knew better as she noticed how his muscles were tensed up and the harsh sound of grinding teeth were heard.

_– __Onii-chan, calm down…–_ she pleaded softly. _– __He's doing it on purpose to rile us up _—_don't let him. –_

There was a moment of silence.

_– … __doesn't mean I have to like it though. – _he replied after managing to calm himself down with mental exercises. _– Thanks, Naruko-chan. I don't know what I would've done if you haven't calmed me down. –_

He was rewarded with a mental giggle. _– Anytime, Onii-chan. –_ then she became serious. _– And don't worry; he's going to get what's coming for him… rather painfully I might add. –_

A dark chuckle then echoed throughout their mindscapes. **"Ooooh, this is going to be fun!" **Kurama crowed in glee.

"I've said it once and I'll say it again," Dosu said after the Uzumakis were busy in their mental conversation, a touch of irritation in his tone. "Step aside, and we'll let you live."

Naruto stared into the eyes of the mummified boy in front of him, causing the Oto genin to flinch in stunned surprise at the deadly intensity that were in the blonde boy's cerulean eyes. Chancing a glance behind him, Naruto noted that Sakura, while afraid, was clutching her kunai determinedly in a defensive stance. He mentally nodded in approval — this Sakura had come a long way since joining Team 7, and was already leaps and bounds better than the Sakura of his old dimension.

His negative emotions sensing, while not as potent as he would've liked since Kurama was still assimilating his chakra, was enough to tell Naruto that the two male Oto genin in front of them had nothing but single-minded determination to hurt and if the opportunity arises, kill.

Casting his senses on the last member of the Oto team, imagine his shock and bewilderment when he felt not an ounce of malice in the dark-haired girl's thoughts and emotions — only fear, anger, disgust and remorse. On further examination, he could make out what the individual emotions represented in the girl's psyche, which he relayed to Naruko as well.

Fear was the obvious one — fear of Orochimaru.

Anger was also clear — anger at the total-jerk-of-a-teammate she had, same goes for disgust as well.

But what Naruto didn't expect from the supposed sadistic Oto kunoichi — which Sakura was adamant in emphasizing the first time around — was _remorseful_. The girl was literally broadcasting her regret at the prospect of harming other people which were her master's enemies, and Naruto couldn't help but feel intrigued — hopeful even.

Maybe there _was_ something good that came out of the dimensional distortions.

Realizing that he had not replied to the cocky mummy, Naruto took a breath, letting it out as he took his time, toying with his opponent who was already red in the face in anger — which was impressive as the bandages apparently did nothing to hide the redness of the boy's skin.

"Well?!" Zaku, the more impatient one obviously, snarled out. "What's you answer weaklings?"

"No."

"_No_?" Dosu parroted, amused at the answer. "And _what _makes you think you can take us all on, punk?"

Unknown to Team Dosu's de facto leader, Kin had unconsciously taken several cautious steps back without either of her dumb teammates noticing. She didn't want to fight — far from it.

But, she reminded herself, she _had_ to… to save _her._

Her cautious retreat didn't go unnoticed however, as the blonde haired girl who Zaku had insulted was looking in her direction, a puzzled frown on her near-angelic features. Kin froze in surprise, unable to hide her shock and slight fear as the Konoha kunoichi gazed at her almost inquisitively through violet pools.

The dark-haired girl didn't have time to think about what the girl will do to her however, as Zaku abruptly stepped forward, a cruel smirk on his face.

"Whatever, I'm tired of waiting around!" he said, "Dosu, let me take care of this punk."

Said 'punk' in question only raised an eyebrow in amusement, wondering if the moronic Oto genin was serious about taking him on. Shrugging his shoulders easily, Naruto only smirked at him, further infuriating the wild haired boy.

"No," Dosu called, "you take care of the girl, seeing as you want to have your _fun_, I'll take the boy. And Kin," he glanced slightly at his last teammate in contempt. "You take bubblegum girl."

Kin sighed but nodded reluctantly. _'I don't want to fight, but if I can just incapacitate them maybe we can get out this with as little bloodshed as possible…'_ she thought to herself as she readied her senbons.

Zaku smirked, taking a step forward before he suddenly heard a click. His eyes widened only a brief second before jumping back, his original position already assailed by dozens of kunai and shuriken fired from hidden launchers.

Smirking in triumph, Zaku was about to start forward again when Sakura, already holding her kunai at the ready, threw it right at him and forcing him to duck. It kept going before slicing through a pre-prepared rope which held back a massive wooden log, causing it to come hurtling towards the three Oto genin.

Just before it hit them however, the log was blown to pieces by a powerful wave of air which came from Zaku's palms. Team 7 could clearly see the holes in the boy's palms.

"Nice try," Zaku bragged. "You're going to have to do better than that! Orochimaru-sama personally handpicked us to complete this mission!"

Naruto raised a disinterested eyebrow, intent on toying with the hotheaded and brash boy. "Really?" he drawled. "Then I don't suppose Hebi-teme sent you here because he thought you worse than dirt? I mean why _else_ would he send the three of you to kill the Last Uchiha when he had _personally_ given him the Cursed Seal."

_That_ got an instant reaction from the three Oto genin, along with Sakura who didn't know about the seal.

"W-What?!" Kin breathed, her face paling multiple shades of white as she fearfully backed away from the Konoha genin. "Orochimaru-sama never told us he was going to give him that!"

"Lies!" Dosu yelled, "Don't listen to the punk! No one but Orochimaru-sama knows about the Cursed Seal! He's just toying with us!"

"Enough of this!" Zaku snarled. "Time to die!"

Naruto sighed, uncrossing his arms before reaching into his jacket. "Naruko-chan, you take care of the hothead while I deal with the mummy." He said, "Sakura, I leave it to you to protect Sasuke!"

"On it!" Naruko replied, flipping out two kunais as Zaku jumped at her.

"R-Right!" Sakura said while trying to avoid getting turned into a pin cushion by Kin, who was already on the offensive albeit reluctantly.

Naruto unsheathed his katana from his storage seal, holding it in his preferred kenjutsu stance. He looked up just as Dosu came charging at him, the boy's artificial metal gauntlet glinting in the sunlight as they came at him. Skillfully swinging his blade, Naruto easily blocked the sloppy punch that was aimed at his face with a resounding clang of metal against metal.

Naruto winced in pain, not expecting the pain in his right ear as he stumbled back slightly, where blood leaked out of his right ear. Feeling oddly off balanced, he barely had time to react as another punch came at him, forcing him to jump back to create some distance. Suddenly another surge of pain erupted in his left ear, making Naruto hold his hand to the affected ear, only pulling away to see the blood had leaked from it.

_'__Damn!'_ he cursed inwardly. _'He's attacking me using the soundwaves from those holes in his gauntlet!'_

"What's the matter?" Dosu mocked, holding up his metal gauntlet for Naruto to see. "Feeling a bit dizzy? Lightheaded? Woozy? With this, I can attack your inner ear with sound, messing with your balance. "

With that, he charged again, intending on ending the fight.

Naruto grinned, as the mummified boy basically told him all he needed to know about his opponent's fighting style. Since he hadn't been conscious to witness Rock Lee's defeat at the hands of the Oto genin, he technically was fighting the boy for the first time. But what he found out from the brief observation was in one word — disappointing.

The boy had no talent whatsoever in other fields of the shinobi arts, only relying on brute strength and that gauntlet alone to guarantee victory. Well, Naruto thought to himself, he was in for a rather rude awakening.

_– __Kurama, can you lessen the dizziness when the soundwaves hit? – _he asked mentally to his tenant, gripping his katana in a loose offensive stance that allowed him more space and fluidity to his attacks. _– I have a plan. –_

**"****You got it." **

When Dosu came at him again, this time with an overhead swipe, Naruto channeled earth chakra into his blade, increasing its durability as a channeled both his chakra and his forward momentum into his attack; the same attack he used against Zabuza nearly a month ago.

Swinging his blade upwards in an arc of gray, he was glad to know that he only felt a miniscule of pain in both his ears while feeling no dizziness whatsoever when his katana connected once more with Dosu's right gauntlet in a resounding clang.

He nearly laughed at the mummified Oto genin's look of pure shock as Naruto pressed home his advantage, carrying forward the momentum into his attack which easily sent the mummified boy careening away into one of the trees, leaving a large indent in the bark as he did before falling to the ground with a thud.

Chancing a glance at how his girlfriend was faring against the hothead that insulted her, Naruto quickly made a decision as he sprinted towards a struggling Dosu, who was forcing himself to stand despite the pain that wracked his body.

A few moments ago, Naruko was put slightly on the defensive as Zaku's swipes with his kunai were ferocious as they were sloppy. Seeing him overextending on of his attacks, Naruko immediately took advantage of it by sweeping his legs out from under him, causing the boy to smash face first into the dirt.

She was about to finish him with a falling axe kick when her instincts warned her of the danger just as she jumped away from a concentrated blast of compressed wind, courtesy of Zaku who held his palm out at her.

"You'll pay for that, you bitch!" he snarled, bringing both of his palms to bear against her. "**Zankūha (Decapitating Airwaves)!"**

Realizing that the boy's attack was pretty much unstoppable, Naruko barely dodged to the side as the attack gouged out the earth, leaving a nasty looking scar in its wake. Leaping to her feet, she was in the process of making hand signs for a jutsu before a body — Dosu's, came barreling into Zaku, who cried out in shock and pain as the two boys tumbled painfully into a pile, groaning in pain as they did.

Looking back the way where Dosu came, Naruko felt a smile on her face as she saw Naruto looking at the human dog pile with unrestrained amusement. No doubt he was the one who sent the boy straight into his teammate. Sending a playful nudge through their bond, she was rewarded with a giant, shit eating grin from the blonde boy as an answer, causing her to giggle slightly.

They were interrupted when they heard a loud, feminine, and _familiar_ screech of anger coming from behind her, causing both Naruto and Naruko to turn around just in time to see Sakura cut off her long pink hair with a kunai, leaving a whole clump in Kin's hands as Sakura glared murder at the Oto kunoichi who stood there in stunned shock.

Taking advantage of the situation, Sakura — her hair now reaching the nape of her neck unevenly — spun around, and punched Kin in the face which sent the dark-haired girl flying back a few feet before she regained her balance, chucking a few senbon at Sakura who, to Naruko's astonishment, blocked or dodged the tiny projectiles with only her kunai.

With her face set in determination, Sakura threw her kunai at Kin, purposely aiming high and forcing Kin to duck under the weapon before realizing too late of her mistake, as she came face to face with the pink-haired Konoha kunoichi.

At that moment, with her fist cocked back ready to strike, Naruto could only look on in pride as he caught a glimpse of the strong-willed woman that Haruno Sakura would later become.

Kin, wholly caught off guard by the _supposedly_ weak link of the Konoha shinobi, didn't have the time to react when Sakura's punch connected full force with her stomach, knocking the air out of her before another connected with the side of her head, sending her tumbling near her fallen teammates who were trying to get up.

"You bastard!" Zaku yelled, managing to bring his palms to bear against the Konoha shinobi. "I'll make your death _slow_, and _painful_! **Zankūha!**"

Already knowing the attack was coming the moment Zaku raised his arms, Naruto ran through a quick set of hand signs before slamming both hands onto the ground, yelling. "**Dōton: Doryūheki! (****Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall)****"**

A ten foot high, seven foot wide wall of earth and rock sprung up in front of him, effectively shielding his friends from the compressed air attack which hardly made a dent in the earth wall.

Following up Naruto's defense, Naruko leapt over the wall, fingers crossed in her favorite hand sign as multiple shadow clones came into existence and started charging at Zaku, who was frantically blasting Naruko's clones one-by-one, sometimes two at a time as he aimed at different clones with his palms.

"Damn it!" Zaku cursed. "Which one of you is real, you bitch!?"

He didn't finish his rant as the ground underneath him suddenly exploded and he was lifted into the air. He felt an immense pain in his chin, and only registered that the blonde haired boy who had defeated Dosu had uppercutted him and sent him flying. His body was already wracked in pain from Dosu crashing into him — the boy was heavy as hell! — as he watched in trepidation when the girl he had been insulting and fighting at the same time appeared above him.

His fear turned to pure terror when the one Naruko was joined by her copies, all preparing to pummel him into the ground.

They did not disappoint, unfortunately for the Otogakure genin.

The first two clones punched Zaku in the stomach. "**U! ZU!**"

"**MA!**" the third one delivered a spinning kick, sending him closer towards the ground.

Unexpectedly, another one of Naruko's clones appeared _underneath_ Zaku, who planted both her feet on the boy's back sending him back up into the air again. "**KI!**"

And, as one, the real Naruko along with four of her clones appeared back up on top of him before they rained punches, kicks, and jabs all along his battered body before the last Naruko dropped a falling axe kick onto his stomach, all the clones yelling as one.

"**NARUKO RENDAN!**_"_

The last kick sent Zaku's body crashing into the dirt, kicking up dust and cratering the area where his body impacted onto the hard earth.

He groaned in pain, coughing up blood as Dosu, who managed to move again, came towards him to help his teammate up. Slapping away the offered hand of his leader, Zaku painfully gritted his teeth as he tried to aim his palms towards the girl who had soundly beaten him — humiliated him — glaring bloody murder as he did.

"**Zankū**—argh!" he cried out in the middle of performing his technique as he felt sharp pain hit both of his shoulders.

Glancing down, he was shocked to see two shuriken protruding out from his offending area. Looking up, Zaku was further enraged when he saw the pink-haired girl — the supposedly _weak_ pink-haired girl — holding a few shurikens at the ready, glaring at him with angry emerald eyes.

Before he could open his mouth, a nasty retort already at the tip of his tongue, he was interrupted when the entire clearing was blanketed by a flood of extremely malevolent chakra.

Craning their heads to the source of the sudden surge, both Oto and Konoha genin watched as Sasuke slowly stumbled out of the hollow of the tree he was resting in, head hung low as strange, flame-like black motifs originating from the boy's neck started covering the left side of his face. The dark, purple chakra radiating from the boy only added to the ghoulish appearance of the Last Uchiha as the black motifs burned an angry lava-red.

Kin gulped in fear as she slowly backed away. "H-He's not joking!" she gasped out, "Orochimaru-sama _did_ give him the Cursed Seal!"

"Impossible!" Dosu breathed. "No one can survive Orochimaru-sama's cursed seals!"

Naruto chose to remain silent, not wanting to tell the naïve Oto genin team leader that many _had_ survived the crude procedure of the Snake Sannin, take the _Otogakure no Shinobi Yonin Shū_ _(Hidden Sound Shinobi Four People__)_ for example.

When Sasuke finally looked up, Dosu and Kin took an unconscious step back at the menacing and slightly insane look the Uchiha had in his eyes, the tomoe of his Sharingan were spinning wildly.

Naruko on the other hand grew pensive as she watched helplessly on the sidelines as Orochimaru's vile creation started corrupting her teammate. She now felt as useless and helpless as Naruto had felt when he was forced to let Orochimaru give Sasuke the cursed seal.

It was not a pleasant feeling, she decided.

"S-Sasuke-kun…" Sakura breathed out, trembling slightly in fright at the boy's transformation. "A-Are you alright?"

Sasuke looked back at the pink-haired girl, and smirked slightly. "Alright? I'm better than alright." He replied. "I've never felt this kind of power flowing through me before — it's amazing!"

Focusing back on the three slightly winded Oto genin in front him, he continued. "I finally understand what I am, what I am destined to be — an avenger. _He_ helped me understand that the only way to avenge my clan was to become powerful and to accept power no matter the consequences, even if it means being consumed by evil."

"So," he sneered at the three Oto genin, "Which one of you morons wants to go first?!"

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

**Um… surprise? Again?**

**I am finally ****_back_**** boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen! After three long months of little to no activity, I am finally back!**

**No, no, I am ****_not_**** dead yet, because if I was I wouldn't be posting this on the website… oooor maybe having my sister post it posthumously, but I'm rambling here.**

**So, what do you guys think of this chapter? I got stuck halfway through it and ran into a writer's block that I'm having a hard time clearing, thanks in no small part to my part-time job and other, less pressing but equally distracting events. This chapter had been sitting in my laptop, halfway finished for almost three months and now I ****_finally _****finished it! I just noticed I kinda clichéd the battle with Orochimaru there, but I digress…**

**Okay, that's all for me right now. Enjoy the latest instalment of Destiny Rebirth! Check out my profile for the forum link, hope to see you all soon!**

**This is HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE!**

* * *

**Author's Note (Updated: 06/10/16)**

**I've fixed the scene with Orochimaru which originally made Naruto looked inept and incompetent in many viewers eyes. Well, I've fixed that to be more realistic in your eyes. Happy reading folks!**


	17. Preliminary Showdown!

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Seventeen: Preliminary Showdown!**

* * *

_'__Well… that could've gone a whole lot better.'_

Naruto sighed as he adjusted the position of the passenger on his back as he jumped off another branch and into the air. Looking back, he could clearly see the almost peaceful expression on one Uchiha Sasuke's face, dead to the world as he slept away in unconsciousness.

Looking back to his front, the forms of Sakura and his girlfriend were only a few paces ahead of him, moving as fast as their bodies allowed them in their weakened states; Sakura more so than her teammate, whose stamina rivaled that of Naruto's.

The blonde beauty glanced back at him, before flashing him a beautiful smile which Naruto couldn't help but smile back. Then the smile left as quickly as it came as he remembered what had happened that morning.

_'__Damn Sasuke, you lousy teme…' _he thought morosely to himself, _'Is power all that mattered to you when we were younger? Is your sole purpose always centered on Itachi all this time?'_

_'__Did our friendship mean __**nothing **__to you?'_

Chancing a look back at the raven-haired avenger, Naruto was forcefully reminded that the Sasuke on his back was _not_ his own dimension's Sasuke; rather he was Naruko's dimension's Sasuke. _'Get your head out of the gutter, Uzumaki! He's __**not**_ _your dimension's Sasuke!' _he admonished himself inwardly.

Ever since he came here, he kept on holding on to the fleeting hope that this Sasuke would be different — that he would understand that fighting for the ones he cared about would make him stronger than fighting for the sole purpose of gaining power. Unfortunately, this Sasuke did the exact opposite, believing that the only way to avenge his clan was through power and power alone.

He thought he hated Black Zetsu, but even he was surprised at just _how much_ he hated the bastard at the moment…

Add to that fact, with Sasuke's mental state as fragile as it was, Naruto wasn't sure he could save the Uchiha Clan from permanent extinction. The only plausible way — in the worst case scenario — he could think of at the moment was saving Sasuke's brother, Uchiha Itachi.

Now, if only he could bring a sample of the man's incurable disease to Tsunade early on…

_"__So," Sasuke sneered at the three Oto genin, "Which one of you morons wants to go first?!" _

After Sasuke had basically challenged the Oto genin team, it had been an all-out slug between the two male members of the Oto genin team and the Last Uchiha, with Sasuke easily coming out as the victor and leaving a broken Zaku and a limping Dosu in his wake.

It was in his power and adrenaline fueled daze, that Sasuke turned his attention towards Naruto himself, fully intending on taking his rightful place as the best amongst the Rookie 9…

At least in his addled mind.

But, his temporary ambitions were put to a screeching halt when the blonde haired boy immediately appeared behind the Uchiha and slugged him at the back of his head, plunging Sasuke's consciousness into the abyss.

Just like the first time around, Dosu immediately called a truce and retreated with his team, but not after leaving their Earth scroll behind which Naruto pocketed eagerly with a grin.

Looking back at his girlfriend and Sakura, he remembered seeing the two of them fussing over Sakura's uneven ends of her pink hair and both girls were carefully trimming them with Naruko's kunai. Once done, Naruto hefted the unconscious Clan Heir onto his back and beckoned them to move, which the girls immediately complied.

Sighing as he shook his head slightly to clear his mind, Naruto turned his head to look off into the distance to his left, already knowing who was there thanks to his negative emotions sensing and Naruko's sensory abilities. They had already known their fellow Rookies were in the clearing that morning, and had obviously seen Sasuke's unusual behavior and his brutal takedown of the Oto Team.

_'__Well… it isn't exactly the Rookie __**9**__ now after I came into the picture.'_ He thought idly to himself. _'The Rookie 10 … that has a nice ring to it.'_

A gentle nudge on his mind snapped him out of his musings, making Naruto smile as he reciprocated the gesture, earning a mental giggle in response.

_– __I heard that you know, – _Naruko said with a giggle. _– The Rookie 10… you're right, that __**does**__ have a nice ring to it! –_

_– __Of course it does, Dattebayo! –_ Naruto replied with a chuckle. _– It's __**me**__ you're talking about here! –_

He received a mental equivalent of a swat to his arm in response.

_– __Don't flatter yourself, Na-ru-to-kun~ –_ she replied playfully. _– You still haven't told me about where you're taking me for our date! –_

_– __Sorry, it's a secret~ –_ Naruto replied cheekily. _– It's a surprise after all. –_

She pouted mentally in response, prompting him to laugh at his girlfriend's antics. He still couldn't get over the fact that he had landed himself a date with the girl ahead of him, the mere thought of it still made him smile goofily.

Then his mood turned somber as he glanced back at Sasuke, an uneasy feeling already settling in his stomach. Looking back to his front, he silently prayed to Kami and hoped for the best to come in the situation he had found himself in.

_'__Some things are meant to happen, no matter what you do and change. Have faith …'_ A small whisper that sounded oddly like the goddess he was praying to sounded in his ear, causing Naruto sigh in acceptance.

Space-Time Ninjutsu Theory… it was time to hit the books again.

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?" Naruko suddenly asked, "Do you need a breather?"

Sakura shook her head negatively, fatigue clear in her posture. "I'm fine…" she dismissed.

"_No,_ you are _not_." Naruko interjected forcefully, jumping up beside the pink haired girl and slung the girl's arm around her shoulders for support. "We need you in top condition if we ever get ambushed — don't burn yourself out."

Sakura could only nod mutely, already knowing she couldn't win an argument with the blonde when she had set her mind on it.

Naruto only grinned wider at the girl's display of compassion.

And, as dusk settled on their third day in Training Ground 44, both Naruto and Team 7 finally arrived at the central tower unmolested. Carefully depositing the still unconscious Sasuke to a nearby medic-nin, who had been waiting in the corner, Naruto watched as the remaining members of Team 7 tried to decipher the riddle put up at the wall of the lobby area.

Deciding that she had wasted enough time waiting, Naruko deftly fished the two scrolls — Heaven and Earth — out from a distracted Sakura's hands and quickly unrolled them so that they intersected one another, drawing indignant protests from the Haruno girl.

As soon as the scrolls were unrolled, smoke started rising from the surface of the paper before exploding in a plume of smoke. Once the smoke cleared, along with the coughing and irritated eyes, the once empty space was now occupied by—

"Iruka-sensei?" Naruko asked, surprise filtering through her voice. "What are you doing here?"

The scarred chūnin instructor merely smiled at his favorite student. "Why, I'm here to congratulate you guys of course, for passing through the infamous 'Forest of Death' and making it here!" He stated.

He went on to explain the meaning behind the inscriptions on the walls, about the importance of balance between the mental and the physical aspects of one's abilities, just like the first time around. When he was done, he allowed Team 7 the rest of the two days to relax and recuperate.

As Sakura excused herself to tend to her slight wounds and to watch over Sasuke, Iruka turned his attention towards his last-minute prodigal student, a lopsided but warm smile on his face.

"I should've known that you'd be here with Naruko-chan," he said, ignoring the indignant squawks coming from Naruko and the slight reddening on Naruto's cheeks. "Where Naruko goes, you won't be far behind… Thank you for that."

Naruto only shook his head, pulling out his own scrolls as he did. "I'm just doing my job, Iruka-sensei — protecting what's precious to me." He said firmly.

He didn't notice the radiant expression his girlfriend sent his way as he unrolled all four of his scrolls and intersected them together, and after a much larger explosion of smoke later, Naruto was greeted by the sight of—

"Hokage-sama?" Naruto said, barely holding in his surprise and wariness at seeing his surrogate grandfather. "What are you here instead of Kakashi-sensei?"

Hiruzen chuckled. "Him? My guess is that he took the long way around seeing as he didn't arrive to the meeting point on time," he explained mirthfully. "Well, in any case, congratulations on passing the second part of the Chūnin Exams Naruto-kun."

"Thank you…" Naruto murmured, bowing slightly.

Iruka also bowed to his leader before excusing himself. Naruko however had no such reservations as she immediately tackled the old man in a hug, making the Sandaime laugh heartily at her antics. Turning his attention back towards Naruto, he became serious as Naruko released him from her hug.

"I take it my former pupil was here?" he asked.

"Hai," it was Naruko who answered. "He came just as Onii-chan said, and successfully planted his Cursed Seal on Sasuke."

"One of my Jōnin has also engaged with him as well. You might know her Naruto-kun, a Mitarashi Anko, your proctor." Hiruzen said, making Naruto nod with a small smile. The 'Crazy Snake Lady' was definitely frightening in her gutsiness to take on her former teacher. "I have called an emergency Council Session scheduled for tomorrow as a result, which is why I'm here now instead of in my office. I need your input on this matter."

Naruto rubbed his chin in thought. "Whatever you decide at the moment, don't tip off Orochimaru, at least for the moment." He held up a finger to forestall Hiruzen's words as he quickly put up a small-scale privacy jutsu around the three of them, "We _need_ him to go through with his attack so we can take out as many Otogakure shinobi as we can. As for Sunagakure, I have no idea at the moment. Don't mention this to the council just yet — wait for the one month interval to begin. I'll see what I can do then…"

Hiruzen nodded, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder, causing the boy to look up at the Hokage's wizened but soft features.

"I'll do as you ask, Naruto-kun." He began, "And I'm sorry about moving up the second part of the exam — the Council wanted it moved up to allow more time to prepare for the third part of the exams, and to allow the other dignitaries enough time to begin their journey to Konoha."

Naruto sighed. "Figures…" he grumbled, muttering about pompous self-righteous windbags that do nothing but whine all day.

Hiruzen only laughed at the boy's annoyance. Naruko meanwhile just shook her head, an amused smile playing on her lips as she put a hand on Naruto's arm, affectively calming him down. Sending a quick smile her way, Naruto then nodded towards his surrogate grandfather.

"I can understand that," he began, "While you're at it, try to keep a close eye on the white-haired four-eyed '_genin'_ — he's Hebi-teme's most trusted man and advisor."

"I'll keep that in mind, Naruto-kun." Hiruzen promised, and then he smiled. "Now, I believe I've kept you two long enough. Have a good rest you two."

"Hai!" the Uzumaki siblings chorused before Hiruzen disappeared in a body flicker, leaving the two blondes to their own devices.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

The subsequent two days spent in the tower were rather uneventful, save for Sasuke's usual brooding after he woke and as far as everyone was concerned, everything was back to the way it was before.

For the most part at least.

The only thing that stood out however was how Naruto and Naruko had apparently grown even closer than before, if that were even possible seeing as they were practically joined at the hip ever since Naruto came into the picture. Whether they were having their meals or training, they were always seen together as where one of them went, the other was sure to be close by.

After Team 7 and Naruto had arrived at the end of the third day Team 10, the Shika-Ino-Cho trio, had arrived exactly an hour after them, followed by a slightly battered Team 9, with Neji occasionally shooting annoyed glares at his grinning green jumpsuit wearing teammate.

Apparently, from what Tenten had told Naruko when the blonde had asked the bun haired weapons specialist, Lee thought it was a good idea to challenge multiple different teams at once, and they were unfortunately forced to fight them off just to keep them off the bowl-haired boy's back.

Naruto laughed long and hard after he heard that — it was such a Rock Lee thing to do he wasn't even surprised.

Team 8 arrived during noon on the fourth day, looking exhausted but otherwise unharmed though there were the unmistakable haunted look in their eyes when someone were to talk to them. When asked about it, they would just shrug it off; with Kiba grinning almost painfully at his friends, Shino becoming even quieter than usual and Hinata lacking her usual enthusiasm and acting more withdrawn when greeting her best friend, Naruko.

Many wondered what the three had witnessed back in the forest, but Naruto knew what, or _who_, they had seen — Gaara.

When he mentioned it to Naruko, to say the blonde girl was utterly distraught by what her best friend had seen was a bitter understatement. After that, she made a much more concerted effort to be by the Hyūga Heiress's side from that point onwards, slowly but surely bringing the lavender-eyed girl out of her shock.

And finally, on the last day of the second part of the Chūnin Exams, the last of the surviving teams barely limped through the lobby, desperately hoping to catch a breather after their hellish experience in the forest. They got their hopes dashed however when they were immediately ushered towards the arena area located in the middle of the tower.

Naruto was already there along with Team 7, waiting for the rest of the surviving participants to assemble in the spacious arena floor. Looking around him, he was once again hit with a strong wave of nostalgia as his mind recalled the good times he had been through the first time around.

The feeling of a small soft hand closing around his own, along with a warm nudge through the bond he shared with his sister, Naruto smiled knowingly; no doubt the blonde beauty had heard his thoughts.

Flashing a grateful smile, he turned his attention back towards the front where the Sandaime Hokage cleared his throat lightly to gather attention to himself, smiling benevolently as he did.

"Welcome everyone, and congratulations to you all for making it this far!" he stated.

He then started his speech on how the Chūnin Exams were substituted in place of open warfare between the Five Great Nations, and how it was aimed at strengthening the ties between the different Shinobi Villages.

Naruto mostly tuned out the speech; he had heard it all before the first time around, and was instead focusing on keeping an eye on Kabuto, who was faking his exhaustion if one knew what to look for. Naruto doubted the white-haired man even used up a quarter of his chakra reserves during the duration of the exam.

He was brought out of his thoughts when Hiruzen passed the floor over to Gekkō Hayate, the distinctive bandanna-like hitai-ate he wore clearly visible to all as the brown-haired Jōnin coughed a few times before speaking.

"Hello everyone, my name is Gekkō Hayate. I will be your proctor for the third and final exam," he said in between coughs. Naruto idly wondered if Tsunade could cure the man's mysterious chronic illness when she returned. "Because of the greater than normal number of participants that had managed to pass the second exam, we are to hold a preliminary round to lower that number to better accommodate the third exam."

Hayate gestured towards the electronic screen located high above the far wall.

"This will be a one-on-one battle, with the screen randomly selecting your names to be put into the slots. Once your name is on screen, proceed down to the center of the arena while the rest wait on the railings. The winner of the match is decided when either one of the participants is knocked out, killed, forfeits, or when I step in." He continued as he coughed once more.

Naruto scanned the participants around him, trying to get a read on _all_ of the genin that had survived the second exam. The Rookie 9 was here, as well as Team 10 and Kabuto's Team. The Sand Siblings was also present to no one's surprise, along with the Otogakure Team.

And, much to his silent astonishment, the seemingly inept Iwagakure Team made it as well, bringing the total Genin count up to 24 excluding Naruto himself.

_'__Well, this was unexpected…'_ he thought. _'Who would've thought those three dimwits could make it this far?'_

**"****You should've expected this, kit." **Kurama supplied with a yawn, stirring from his nap. **"Your mere presence here changed things in this new world. There are a thousand different ways things could go wrong or right."**

_'__Gee, no pressure.'_ Naruto snarked. _'But you're right, I'll be careful, so don't worry too much!"_

**"****I wonder sometimes …"**

_'__Way to boost my confidence Kurama …'_

Naruto rolled his eyes at the fox's echoing snickers as Hayate coughed again.

"Before we begin, is there anyone else who wants to forfeit now?" he asked, eye roaming over the assembled genin.

Unsurprisingly to the Uzumakis, Kabuto raised his hand.

"I'm done." He said, "I used too much during the second exam."

Hayate nodded, and as Kabuto was slowly walking out of the arena, Naruto subtly flashed a few ANBU hand signals at the Sandaime, who responded with an almost imperceptible nod. The wizened leader then flashed his own hand signals to his awaiting ANBU before turning his attention back towards Hayate.

Naruto also faintly noticed Sasuke giving Sakura a rather nasty glare, prompting the pink-haired girl to snap her mouth shut with a click. He noticed Naruko frown at the raven-head, prompting him to squeeze the girl's hand to calm her down.

"Anyone else?" Hayate asked. "No? Well, let's get started then."

The screen started flashing through the names, before it stopped on the first two names:—

**_Rock _****_Lee _**VS **_Matsubara Tonson_**

"Yosh!" said Lee as fires of determination started burning in his eyes. "I'm first!"

One of the Iwa genin, Tonson apparently, let out a cocky smirk. "This should be fun."

Naruto shook his head, allowing Naruko to pull him away along with the others as the other participants left the area. Things should be getting interesting with him and the Iwa Team in this exam this time around.

_– __I hope Lee wins this. – _Naruko said to him. _– I'd pay good money to see that Iwa guy's face when Lee wipes the floor with him. –_

Naruto only chuckled in response, wholeheartedly agreeing with her.

With everyone not involved in the current battle already on the railings, Hayate stepped in between the two fighters. Lee was jumping on his left leg followed by his right, clearly warming up for his fight while Tonson kept his cool cocky look that made Naruto want to stab a kunai at his face. Repeatedly.

"Ready?" Hayate asked, raising both his arms. When the two boys nodded, he dropped his arms. "Begin!"

Not wasting any time, Tonson charged straight at the bowl-haired Konoha-nin, flicking his wrists as the kunai hidden in his sleeves slid into his hands. Lee, having dropped into his favored Gōken (Strong Fist) stance, merely allowed the Iwa genin to come in close, easily dodging the overhead swipe along with the simultaneous jab at his stomach.

Moving faster than the eye could follow, Lee swiftly swept the legs out from under Tonson before jumping high into the air, twisting his body around before he dropped a kick onto the Iwa-nin's stomach. Tonson's body hit the ground hard, rather painfully expelling the air from his lungs.

Jumping a good distance away, Lee regarded his opponent with a determined gaze, posture never leaving from his combat stance as he waited for the next assault.

Back on one of the viewing platforms, Naruto watched the fight with slight amusement as the taijutsu-focused genin quite handily dismantled the Iwa-nin. Noticing this, Naruko took his hands in hers and squeezed slightly, making him look at her questioningly.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

Naruto only shrugged. "Lee was always an excellent fighter."

She smiled in acknowledgement, wholly agreeing with him.

Tonson snarled, wiping away blood from where he had accidentally bit into his lip with the back of his hand.

"You'll pay for that!" he yelled, forming several hand seals as he shouted, "**Dōton: Dangan no Jutsu! (Earth Release: Bullet Rock Technique)**"

A large piece of rock dislodged from the arena floor as soon as he finished, leaving a huge hole in its wake before he manipulated the rock to shoot directly at Lee at speeds belying its size. Thinking he had won, imagine the Iwa-nin's shock when Lee just easily vaulted over the speeding lump of earth before closing the distance between them in a flash.

"Take this! My flames of YOUTH!" Lee shouted as he delivered a devastating haymaker at Tonson's unprotected stomach, followed by an uppercut and a final spin kick that finally sent the Iwa-nin hurtling into the wall of the arena with a resounding crash.

Once the dust cleared, the unmoving form of Tonson was clearly visible to everyone, and Hayate called the match.

"Winner, Rock Lee of Konoha!" he announced amidst the cheers of the Konoha genin.

Lee shook his head in disappointment as anime tears fell from his eyes. "I didn't get a good challenge… I didn't manage to show everyone my youthful determination to succeed!" he griped, before quickly straightening up as fire burned in his eyes once more. "No matter! Hopefully my next opponent would allow me to show the wonders of the springtime of YOUTH!"

Naruko groaned. "We're never going to hear the end of it from him, aren't we?" she asked rhetorically.

Naruto shrugged lightly. "Not really, no."

"Well, at least he's easier to deal with than Sasuke-teme …"

Naruto only laughed in response.

The screen flashed again, before it finally settled on another two names:—

**_Uchiha Sasuke_** VS **_Akadō_**_**Yoroi**_

"Will the aforementioned fighters gather in the arena?" requested Hayate before collapsing into another coughing fit.

As the two genin made their way down to the arena, with Sasuke barely holding in a grimace as he unconsciously rubbed the Curse Mark near his neck. Knowing the Uchiha, the boy would most likely try to muscle his way through the pain through sheer willpower and his drive to surpass his brother, Naruto thought idly.

_'__Wait a minute, since when did I start categorizing Sasuke as '_the Uchiha' _in my head?'_ he thought in slight horror, paling slightly.

He heard a loud snort in his head.

**"****Since the little bastard started ogling your mate,"** Kurama supplied airily.

_"__Not. Helping."_ Naruto growled back at the chuckling Bijū, but he couldn't find a reason to retort as it _was_ true.

The fight between Sasuke and Yoroi went just as it did the first time around, and Naruto was infinitely thankful for small mercies, as the timeline wasn't _completely_ screwed up beyond recognition. As Kakashi led a panting but victorious Sasuke away from the arena through a side entrance, no doubt to seal the Cursed Seal, the screen started flashing through names once more.

Out of curiosity, Naruto scanned his surroundings with his negative emotions sensing, and already he could feel the malicious intent of countless people's hearts — mostly from the Sunagakure, Otogakure, Iwagakure and the lone Konoha Team that was led by Kabuto.

He could also sense, much to his surprise and great annoyance, Orochimaru who had taken a rather convincing disguise as the Oto genin team's Jōnin-sensei. Naruto could practically feel the waves of malice oozing from the man, and the palpable feeling of fear from one Tsuchi Kin, who was standing right in front of the man while leaning over the railing.

He was broken out of his sensory induced stupor when Naruko squeezed his hand as well as nudging him mentally to get his attention, making him look up at the screen as it listed two names:—

**_Abumi Zaku _**VS **_Aburame Shino_**

"Same matchup as the first time through …" he whispered to his girlfriend, who gave him a slight nod of acknowledgement both physically and mentally. She knew he would inform her when the matchups were somehow different from his own timestream.

The match was decided even before it began, as Zaku's arms were still both in slings and while he tried to play it off as a non-debilitating injury, Shino was once again able to outsmart the brash Oto-nin by blocking the air receivers with his insects, winning the young Aburame the match just like the first time round.

The screen flashed again, only this time the names that were on there were:—

**_Inuzuka Kiba _**VS **_Nakayama Hiroshi_**

"Well, what d'ya know …" Naruto murmured with a grin. "Kiba might actually get a place in the Chūnin Exam finals this time around."

Naruko turned towards him questioningly, violet eyes alight with curiosity. "What do you mean, Onii-chan?"

"Last time, Kiba didn't get through to the finals because he was eliminated during the prelims." He explained as they watched the Inuzuka Heir and the Iwa genin take their places in the center.

"I see," Naruko said, tilting her head to the side in thought. "Who was he paired with?"

Naruto grinned as he glanced at her. "Me."

"Oh," Naruko said with a laugh. "I should've known! Kami, it was so obvious! As expected from my Onii-chan—"

"Thank you."

"—even if Kiba-kun could be beaten by clever use of diversions and playing with his temper, I'd say he was one of the easiest opponents to defeat!" she summarized cheerfully, glancing at her brother to see his reaction.

"… that's cold, Naruko-chan."

"Maybe, but you still love me for it!" she said with a cheeky smile.

Naruto could only sigh in mock exasperation as he looked up at the ceiling, conceding to the other blonde's point. He couldn't hate her even if he wanted to, and the mere thought of having her angry with him scares him to no end.

Once Hayate started the match, Hiroshi immediately ran through a few hand signs before slamming both his hands on the ground.

"**Dōton: Kengan no Jutsu! (Earth Release: Fist Rock Technique)**" he yelled as both of his arms were encased by hard rock that crawled up from the arena floor. He pulled away from the floor as he entered a brawling stance, holding his rock-encased fists at the front of his face before he charged with a loud roar.

Seeing the other genin's charge, Kiba held up a tiger seal and got down on all fours.

"**Shikyaku no Jutsu! (Four Legs Technique)**" he said as the wild-haired boy gained a feral-like look, elongated nails and canines as chakra coursed through the boy's body. Bracing himself, Kiba leapt forward with his greatly enhanced speed, landing just short of Hiroshi's incoming rock-fists before he leapt away from the Iwa-nin who brought his fists down with a resounding boom.

Hiroshi had just extracted his arms from the crater he had created when Akamaru — unnoticed until now by the Iwa-nin — stepped on his face on all-fours before using it as a springboard to leap towards his partner. Kiba, already holding a soldier pill in between his fingers, tossed it at Akamaru who ate it mid-jump, turning the snow-white ninken's fur brownish-red as chakra visibly coiled around the small pup.

"**Jūjin Bushin! (Man Beast Clone)**" yelled Kiba.

Akamaru transformed into an exact replica of a feral-looking Kiba, standing on his partner's back on all-fours while his master did the same. The effect looked rather intimidating to any who hadn't fought an Inuzuka first hand, and while Hiroshi was doing an admirable job of hiding it, Naruto could see sweat forming on the Iwa-nin's forehead.

"Let's do this, Akamaru!" Kiba yelled as he and Akamaru jumped into the air, spinning wildly as gusts of wind coalesced into a raging current around the two Kibas, forming twin swirling vortexes that could shred nearly anything in its path if enough power was put into the technique.

Hiroshi, seeing the danger, immediately dissolved his rock fists as he sped through another set of hand seals before slamming his hands on the floor. "**Dōton: Doryūheki!**"

The ground erupted as an earthen wall sprung up in between the incoming vortexes and a scared Hiroshi as Kiba yelled out, "**Gatsūga! (Fang Passing Fang)**" before they slammed into the earth wall.

The sound of grinding earth echoed throughout the arena as the spectators watched in fascination when Kiba's technique was seemingly stopped by the earth-wall conjured by Hiroshi, who allowed himself a small smirk of triumph before it was replaced by a look of horror when his wall crumbled underneath the technique's power.

Hiroshi jumped away just when Kiba crashed through his defenses and kept on going until he crashed into ground with a loud boom, kicking up debris and dust as he did. Knowing that he was screwed the moment the technique was to connect with him, Hiroshi was going through another set of hand signs just as Kiba came spinning out of the dust with Akamaru in their Gatsūga forms, barreling down at the thoroughly frightened Iwa-nin.

"**D-Dōton: Iwadeppō no Jutsu! (Earth Release: Rock Gun Technique)**" Hiroshi managed to stutter out, spewing out multiple pebbles from his mouth that gradually gained in size the further the rock projectile travelled.

Hiroshi could only watch in mounting dread as his most powerful technique was easily evaded by the twin swirling hurricanes, only having enough time to scream when Kiba connected his attack with Hiroshi's body, sending the Iwa-nin flying. He was unconscious before he even hit the ground.

And that left Kiba, looking a bit ruffled but otherwise unharmed sporting a massive grin on his face with Akamaru on his head, barking in enthusiasm.

"Winner, Inuzuka Kiba of Konoha!" Hayate announced loudly as cheers and whoops rang out across the arena from the assembled Konoha shinobi.

Naruto clapped loudly along with the rest of his peers as Kiba made his way back to the railings, basking in the praise from his friends and teammates. In the blonde's mind, the shaggy-haired boy deserved it after defeating the Iwa genin, who was skilled in his own right.

The only mistake Hiroshi made was to fight an Inuzuka in a brute force match, which Inuzuka Clan members excel in.

"That was intense!" Sakura said from her place on Naruko's right. "Kiba was always strong, but I didn't think he would become _this_ strong!"

Naruko smiled at her.

"Kiba-kun has put in a lot of hard work to get this far — he deserves it, in my opinion." She remarked.

"Mine as well," Naruto suddenly piped up, startling the pink-haired girl who hadn't noticed the blonde boy until now. "He's come a long way since that day I kicked his ass back at the Academy. Looks like he wasn't such a mutt after all!"

"Oh, Onii-chan …" Naruko said as she shook her head, a hint of a blush on her cheeks as she clearly recalled that day.

Once the congratulations were over, everyone once more turned their attention back to the screen which flashed a few times before settling on two names:—

**_Haruno Sakura _**VS **_Yamanaka Ino_**

Naruto noticed Sakura paling out of the corner of his eye as Naruko gently supported the other girl by giving her encouragement. He watched as his sister's words gradually got through to the Haruno girl, her apprehensive and frightened look slowly morphing into a more confident and determined one.

Sakura then looked up at him, catching his eye as cerulean clashed with bright green.

From just a look, Naruto could see the quiet confidence in her eyes — very much unlike his own dimension's Sakura who had still been partially a fangirl even after the 'Forest of Death'. He knew then and there that the last vestiges of the fangirl-Sakura had finally crumbled away, leaving the kunoichi that Haruno Sakura was always meant to be.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura started her descent towards the arena floor, catching the eye of her former best friend and current rival for Sasuke's affections. Yamanaka Ino stared back defiantly at Sakura who also maintained her gaze, even long after they had reached their destination.

"Are you two ready?" Hayate asked with a wheeze. Getting a nod out the two girls, Hayate leaped away with a shout of, "Begin!"

Naruto was expecting a lot of things when Sakura had finally gotten serious in being a kunoichi, but the fight that was unravelling before his very eyes was not it, and he could sense Naruko's stunned awe as well.

Immediately after the match started, the two girls wasted no time as they closed the distance with one another and started slugging it out in close-quarters taijutsu combat. Though they were evenly matched, neither of them was willing to back down from the fight, as they both had something to prove to both themselves and each other.

Sakura was the first one to disengage and leap away, drawing a few shurikens from her weapons pouch before throwing it at Ino who easily dived to avoid them. Landing a few feet away, Sakura drew a kunai from one of her thigh holsters before throwing it.

Ino dodged to the side, and was about to taunt her former best friend for a lousy throw before her world exploded in a bright white light, forcing her to shut her eyes in pain due to the sheer brightness.

Across from her, Sakura only smirked as she flipped out another kunai, holding it in a reverse grip before charging. She would have to thank Naruko later for the flash bomb idea.

Ino was just clearing out the spots in her eyesight before widening her eyes in shock, ducking under the swipe of Sakura's kunai whilst flipping out her own as she sloppily parried the frighteningly (at least to her!) skillful slashes from the pink-haired girl. Gritting her teeth, Ino decided to bide her time as she parried another slash from Sakura.

The sound of metal hitting metal clanged throughout the arena as those who hadn't seen Sakura in action before — the supposed fangirl — were in a state of stunned shock as Ino, who had received clan training while Sakura, a civilian, was slowly but surely driving Ino into a corner.

Ino grunted when she managed to get into a blade lock with Sakura's kunai with her own, gazing into determined green eyes with her own blue ones.

"How …?" she began, gritting her teeth as Sakura applied more force to dislodge Ino's hold. "When did you become this strong?! You were never this skilled, even during the Academy!"

Sakura didn't say anything for a moment.

"I found my answer to my own shortcomings, Ino …" she began, "I've found friends — comrades who would gladly give their lives to protect _me_, the useless fangirl! This isn't about gaining Sasuke-kun's affections anymore, it's about me finally earning the respect that my teammates have given me and shouldering the responsibilities that comes with being a Kunoichi of Konoha!"

With that last shout, Sakura roared as she kicked Ino right in the stomach, painfully forcing the platinum-blonde haired girl back. Not missing a beat, Sakura stepped forward before lunging with her kunai. As expected, Ino ducked under the blade which was exactly what Sakura was waiting for as she pivoted on her left heel and brought her right heel down on Ino's back, sending the other girl crashing forward in a heap.

Sakura panted as she gripped her kunai tighter, waiting for the groaning Ino to pull herself back onto her feet. An idea suddenly popped up in her head, making her lips twitch in an uncharacteristic mischievous smirk as she decided on what to do.

Ino grunted as she painfully pulled her body up from the floor, cursing when she felt the pain in — well — _everywhere_. She couldn't believe just how skilled and powerful her rival had become; who everyone knew was a fangirl since the Academy. Granted the platinum blonde herself was also one, but she had her clan training to fall back on which the other girl lacked.

Now, Ino was learning the hard way of ever underestimating her one time best friend.

She was about to contemplate her next move when she felt the world shift in a blur of movement and color, causing her to get lightheaded and woozy. The Yamanaka Heiress didn't even notice her eyes were peacefully closed until it was too late. Her last thoughts were: _'Genjutsu …'_

Across from her, a panting Sakura smirked in satisfaction as she finished the hand seals for her technique. "**Maken: Narakumi no Jutsu, (Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique) **success!" she cried in the stunned silence.

It wasn't long before the short-lived silence was shattered by an ear-splitting scream of sheer terror coming from the platinum-blonde haired genin, causing more than one of the contestants to wince visibly at the volume before falling onto the floor, dead to the world.

Hayate cleared his throat to forestall another coughing fit. "Winner, Haruno Sakura of Konoha!" he announced.

There was a moment of stunned silence, before cheers erupted from all sides of the arena hall, congratulating the slowly reddening pink-haired genin as she made her way back up the railings towards her team. Naruko was giving her a proud smile — incidentally she was also the one who cheered the loudest — while Naruto gave her a smirk along with a dip of his head: a sign of respect and acknowledgement that was so Naruto that Sakura couldn't help but laugh slightly.

_'__Finally …' _she thought as she glanced around her, seeing the smiling and proud faces of her teammates staring back at her. _'I will become strong, and not become a burden anymore!'_

Naruto laughed at his sister's exuberance as she hugged the life out of Sakura, who eagerly accepted the hug laughing all the while. He was just as happy with the outcome as Naruko was, and he wondered just how much Naruko could change the course of the Elemental Nations with his foreknowledge and help.

The screen flashed through a few more names before stopping once more, showing the names:—

**_Tsuchi_** **_Kin _**VS**_ Nara_** **_Shikamaru_**

"Another canon matchup…" Naruto informed as the match began the same way as before.

The only difference was the way his negative emotions sensing gave a read on the Otogakure Genin's emotions which bore no violence and only quiet resignation — the same as back in the forest that day — along with the lingering fear of Orochimaru.

"She's scared out of her mind …" Naruko said sadly. Already, the girl's aptitude in her newly unlocked negative emotions sensing was astounding, as she was quite adept in its usage already. "I don't think she was here by choice."

"Let's keep an eye on her," Naruto suggested. "I remember her being sent to the hospital after this match."

Naruko nodded her agreement, turning her attention back to the arena floor.

As soon as those words left his mouth, Hayate announced Shikamaru as the winner as the unconscious Kin was being carried out of the arena on a stretcher. Forming a seal less shadow clone who immediately transformed into a nondescript fly, Naruto ordered it to keep an eye on the Oto kunoichi until further notice and inform him on any changes. He couldn't remember what had happened to the girl in his own timeline.

The names flashed by once more, a couple of Genin anxiously shifting their foot or in some cases, looking bored out of their minds before the names finally stopped on:—

**_Akamatsu Teika_** VS **_Sabaku no Gaara_**

"Oh, _shit …"_ Naruto cursed, drawing out the first word as he leaned forward onto the railing, feeling an odd sense of pity towards the unlucky Iwa-nin, who was sporting a shaky but nonetheless cocky grin.

He saw his sister wince out of the corner of his eye.

"Although I would normally chastise you for using that word, but it seemed appropriate at this time, Onii-chan …" she agreed sadly. "Kami, the other guy stood no chance."

'Stood no chance' was the understatement of the millennia. More like 'crushed beyond all recognition whilst having no chance' would be a more apt description of the scene that the participants of the Chūnin Exams had witnessed.

To call it a fight would be an insult — it was outright slaughter.

When the 'match' started, Teika was about to utter his first jutsu when a wall of sand come rushing at him like a tsunami, engulfing him in a snug cocoon of sand which left only his face exposed while suspended in the air.

The Iwa-nin's cries of mercy and fear were ruthlessly silence when Gaara — with an emotionless look in his eyes — closed his outstretched hand, like crushing an object between his palm and fingers.

Teika gave one final scream, before suddenly quieting as his remains were crushed into paste — literally — and blood started raining down onto the arena floor, with Gaara holding up a sand umbrella which kept the blood off of him.

The youngest Sand Sibling merely looked at Hayate with a bored look, not even caring when his sand soaked up the excess blood on the floor before reentering his gourd.

The sickly Jōnin — along with anyone who wasn't from Sunagakure or hadn't seen Gaara in action yet — stared in open-mouthed horror at the grisly display in front of them, with several of them emptying their breakfasts in the process.

Naruko buried her head in her brother's chest, trying to calm herself down at the senselessness of the gruesome death — no one should be subjected to that kind of fate, to leave nothing but your blood, meat and bone to remember you by. Naruto only closed his eyes in sadness as he hugged her, and to everyone around him he looked like someone who had seen death one too many times and was now witnessing yet another to fuel his nightmares.

After Hayate announced the winner and the clearing teams had cleared the leftover remains of the now-deceased Teika, Gaara shushined back to the railings to his siblings as the screen activated, once more flashing through the names.

**_Tenten_** VS **_Tsurugi Misumi _**

"Woah, that's different." Naruto said making Naruko turn to look at him. "Last time it was Tenten against Temari, and we both know Tenten's weapons would be no match for Temari's Wind Release techniques."

Naruko nodded knowingly. "She was badly beaten the first time around, I take it?"

"'Humiliated' is more like it."

They returned their attention towards the arena floor when Hayate announced the match, causing the two fighters to spring into action.

Misumi wasted no time to closing the distance between him and the bun-haired girl, but was having a difficult time doing so what with the constant and deadly accurate barrage of weapons being thrown by Tenten. When one of the weapons grazed his cheek and another almost buried itself into his thigh, Misumi finally smartened up a bit by whipping out his own kunai to deflect the thrown weapons.

He cursed silently at the developing situation. He was only ever good at taijutsu and never at nin-or-genjutsu — the modifications had further enhanced that factor. And now, he was going to pay for that oversight quite painfully.

Tenten, ever the perceptive one due to her proficiency with deadly and sharp weapons, had noticed her opponent's ploy of trying to get close to her — no doubt he was only ever good at taijutsu, like her teammate Lee.

But also unlike Lee, Misumi lacked one crucial element in his arsenal: speed, as speed was heavily stressed upon Lee due to his reliance on close-range hand-to-hand. Misumi had none of that.

That was why it was fast becoming just another target practice session for Tenten, only with a live and moving target to throw her weapons at. She figured she didn't even need to pull out her special technique, allowing her to save it until the finals.

Unrolling more scrolls around here and unsealing the multitude of weapons within them, Tenten smirked as she threw them at Misumi with increased speed, accuracy and consistency the longer she kept him at bay.

At one time she managed to make several of her weapons hit at the same time by throwing it at different angles while taking into account the wind speed, direction, weight and aerodynamic properties of the weapons in question in order to make them hit all at once, to devastating effect.

After about ten minutes of Tenten throwing at her target with glee and Misumi dodging and deflecting for dear life, much to the Konoha 12's amusement, fatigue finally caught up to the older Genin as he was a second too slow to avoid a kunai to his shoulder, making him yell out in pain.

The hit caused a cascading effect in which the weapons still in midair and on their course towards him slammed into the man all over, finally stopping with the last weapon, a katana of all things, slamming into his thigh. Were it not for his modifications that allowed him to dislocate his joints and bones and move them to protect his vital areas, Misumi would've been a dead man.

But dead he was not, and he was defeated as a result.

"P-Proctor, I forfeit." He managed to gasp out through the pain, blood trickling freely from his wounds and mouth.

Hayate nodded. "Winner, Tenten of Konoha!"

There was a loud whoop coming from Team 10.

"Way to go Tenten!" shouted an over-exuberant Lee whilst he leaned over the railing. "Your Flames of Youth are burning strong today!"

"Indeed, my star pupil!" Maito Gai joined in with his congratulations, much to Tenten's horror. "Tenten's Flames of Youth burned brightly today!"

Amidst the cheers of her embarrassing teammates and Jōnin-sensei, Tenten couldn't help but shake her head and share an equally exasperated look with Neji who was looking at both Lee and Gai with an expression that would've kill a man many times over.

Some ways away from Team 10, Naruto was laughing along with the rest of remaining members of Team 7 at the bowl-haired Genin's antics. Lee had always been a source of good stress relief — along with Naruto himself, much to his consternation — for the rest of them, and it was great to see history repeating itself before his very eyes.

The screen flashed once more as medic-nin carted Misumi away before finally settling on:—

**_Hyūga Hinata_** VS **_Akimichi Chōji_**

"Oh wow, another one that's different …" murmured a slightly frowning Naruto. "The first time through, Chōji was paired with Dosu, and Dosu won without so much as a sweat."

Naruko smiled softly as she watched her best female friend — her male best friend was right beside her, who was also her boyfriend — descend towards the arena, a quiet but steely confidence in her eyes and stride.

"Well, I don't know about you Onii-chan, but I'm rooting for Hinata on this one." She answered bluntly as she waved at Hinata who waved back.

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, I figured as much, 'ttebayo …"

"There goes your verbal tic again, 'ttebane."

"Look who's talking, love."

"Damn it!"

Naruto laughed as Naruko pouted cutely, glaring playfully at her brother before breaking down into giggles herself. It was times like these that her verbal tic was not as bad as she originally thought.

The match started fairly even between the two Konoha Genin, with neither having a clue about the other's clan techniques. Hinata — who had grown confident and sure of her abilities thanks to a certain blonde firecracker — was using a standard Academy kata which emphasizes blocking and attacking with equal measure.

Likewise, Chōji was using his clan's taijutsu which emphasizes his larger body mass and larger surface area and center of mass, allowing him to receive more blows while simultaneously delivering much more powerful ones with the correct foot stance and applied body mass.

Everyone but Naruko was perplexed by the Hyūga Heiress. Why wasn't she using her clan's famed Jūken taijutsu technique, instead opting for a more basic approach to her attacks, as one rarely sees a Hyūga attacking with fists in a taijutsu bout?

As Naruto was about to ask Naruko the reason, he was answered not by his sister / girlfriend, but by a shout of surprise that came from Chōji. He was holding onto his shoulder, pain visible on his face while eying the open palm of Hinata which was coiling with her chakra.

"You are within the range of my divination." Hinata declared in a strong voice, the bulging of the veins around her eyes signaling the activation of her Byakugan. Chōji widened his eyes in fear and tried to back away. "**Hakke Sanjūni Shō! (Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms)**"

Her first two strikes slammed into the Akimichi Heir's shoulders — "Two palms!" Hinata had cried — causing him to stumble backwards. The next two consecutive strikes hit another two chakra points in his abdomen — "Four palms!" — followed by another four successive strikes in quick succession all over his chest — "Eight palms!" — causing Chōji to start to lose balance as the pain began to register in his brain.

The next set of strikes, eight this time, slammed all over the front of his body as Hinata took another bold step forward to lessen the distance between her palms and Chōji's body — "Sixteen palms!" she cried — and finally, the coup de grâce which followed the last set of strikes, sixteen in all, slammed all around the boy's battered body, hitting all of his tenketsu before the last two palm strikes sent him flying backwards.

"Thirty-two palms!" Hinata cried out as she watched Chōji fly and slam onto his back, finally skidding to a halt a good few meters away.

He did not get up.

"Winner, Hyūga Hinata of Konoha!" Hayate announced amidst the resounding cheer from the Konoha Genin as he waved for the medic-nin to take the Akimichi Heir to the infirmary.

Hinata was smiling brightly at everyone, but her gaze lingered on one of them as she quickly ran all the way towards her best friend, climbing up the railings and enveloping her in a hug which the girl known as Uzumaki Naruko happily reciprocated.

"I did it, Naruko-chan!" Hinata cried as tears sprung in her eyes. "Thank you so much for believing in me when others didn't!"

"I knew you could do it, Hinata-chan!" Naruko said with a smile. "I _always_ knew."

Hinata just hugged the blonde tighter, before finally letting go to rejoin her own teammates in Team 8, receiving praises and a hug from Kurenai. Naruko looked at her best friend with proud violet eyes. The lavender-eyed Hyūga had come a long way from the shy and insecure girl from the Academy …

"You look like a proud mother and teacher when you're like that …" a voice that she knew belonged to her beloved sounded beside her.

Looking beside her, Naruko smiled warmly up at Naruto who was also sporting a small smile, a hint of red crawling up her neck and cheeks.

"Do you really think so?" she asked.

Naruto nodded. A faraway look appeared in his cerulean eyes. "That's the look Kaa-chan had when I managed to kick Kurama's butt back on the Island Turtle to gain his chakra …" he said softly, ignoring the indignant snort from said fox.

Naruko smiled softly at the thought of their mother. She had always wondered whether she would do her parents proud, or become a good mother in the future. So, to be compared to their mother by her brother only reinforced the love she had for him. If it wasn't for the fact that they had to keep their new relationship a secret, Naruko would've gladly kissed the stockings off of her brother.

Apparently her desire to snog him senseless was understood by him, as he gave Naruko a wide grin which caused her to chuckle.

Just as the congratulations of Hinata's victory were finished, the screen started flashing once more, stopping on two names that read which raised more than a few eyebrows:—

**_Kinuta Dosu _**VS **_Hyūga Neji_**

Naruto couldn't help but sigh at the roster.

One of the most arrogant people he had met in his two lifetimes (when he was still a fate-obsessed ass) was up against another boy with a cockiness that surpassed even Sasuke's. But, on the bright side, none of the Otogakure Genin would pass the prelims this time around.

Naruto could literally feel the ire and displeasure from across the room from Orochimaru-in-disguise, making him smirk. _'That's score one in my book, Hebi-teme!'_ he thought with a laugh.

As Hayate started the match, Naruto couldn't help but laugh at Naruko's annoyed comments about the fate-obsessed Neji (who had started the match by announcing to Dosu that fate had destined him to win), which ranged from 'dense idiot' to 'delusional psychopath'. Naruto particularly liked her comment about the older Hyūga's long hair and something about transgenderism.

His girlfriend _really_ wasn't fond of the Branch House Hyūga, despite her understanding his reasoning for his actions.

The fight had ended when Neji's superior speed and precision strikes to Dosu's chakra points had disabled the annoying sound gantlet, as it required chakra to remain functional. From there, the match became pretty much a one-sided affair, with Neji ruthlessly pounding the Oto-nin into submission before he lucked out by falling unconscious due to the pain, giving the victory to Neji.

After the medic-nin had carried Dosu out of the arena floor, the screen activated just as Neji rejoined his teammates, but not before sending one last glare at Hinata, who only hung her head down at seeing the hate in her cousin's eyes.

Unknown to the two Hyūga Clan members, Naruko was doing her damnedest not to explode in anger at Neji's attitude towards her best friend, and it was only Naruto's reassuring hand on her shoulder kept her at bay. _– How can someone treat family that way …? –_ she asked rhetorically with a sad tone.

_– __Someone who had blamed the Main House for taking his father away from him for most of his life, –_ Naruto explained through their mind link. _– Only Hiashi-san can help him now, but that doesn't mean we couldn't knock him down a peg or two! –_

Naruko tittered mentally at his response.

They both turned their attention back towards the screen, knowing that their names were definitely next on the roster along with the last two members of the Sand Siblings. They finally got their wish, along with Naruko's admittedly scary smirk, when the board showed:—

**_Uzumaki Naruko_** VS **_Sabaku no Kankurō_**

_. . . _

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_Continued in the next chapter . . ._

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

**Done! **

**Greetings once more to my favorite people in the world! To answer the question that you all probably already know by now, I'm still alive! LOL! **

**No seriously, I am SO SORRY for not updating a lot sooner! I've been so caught up with the sinister demands of life that I only found time to write during my evenings after work (I'm working part time as a trainee of sorts, just to 'past the time' according to Mum) so forgive me if 9 to 5 working hours has addled my creativity and brain power to continue writing…**

**Now, on to more exciting news! How did you feel about the Preliminaries? Good? Bad? Meh? I didn't manage to make a double knockout in any of the matches like I originally intended, but it worked out for the best in the end! (Well… except for Teika, but I digress.)**

**I'm really, REALLY excited for the next part of my story — The Konoha Crush Arc! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we are nearing the climax of the first half of the original pre-Shippūden storyline where MAJOR changes are going to take place! I'm sure some of you that took part in my forum of this story would probably know a bit already, so they don't count! XD **

**Can anyone take a guess on just ****_what_**** I am going to change? If so, review this chapter and the winner gets an internet cookie and a virtual hug from me! **

***Readers back away from the screen to get away from creepy author***

**What? No hug then? Fine! *Pouts* you big meanies … **

**_Anyway,_****I'm going to do a double upload if possible for chapters 17 and 18. If my muse hasn't left me, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. But, if my muse won't cooperate, I'll leave you guys with a cliffhanger! I know; I'm evil like that. Deal with it!**

**Okay, that's all the bullshit from me right now. Enjoy the latest instalment of Destiny Rebirth! Check out my profile for the forum link, hope to see you all soon!**

**This is HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE!**


	18. Decisions, Dates and Deadly Situations!

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Eighteen: The End of the Preliminaries! Of Decisions, Dates and Deadly Situations!**

* * *

_Continued from Chapter Seventeen . . ._

_. . ._

_. . ._

_. . ._

"Well, looks like you're finally up next!" Naruto remarked cheerfully. "You've got this Naruko-chan — _kick his ass!_"

Naruko saluted playfully. "Hai!" she cheered before leaping backwards, summersaulting in midair before landing gracefully on the arena floor.

Turning around fully, she was faced with a smirking Kankurō, who was giving her a condescending look.

She smirked inwardly. Best to let him keep thinking along the same vein, after all an overconfident opponent was always the easiest to overcome. One of the most important lessons Naruto had imparted into her through their sessions was to _never_ underestimate an opponent, no matter how weak they appear.

Shinobi Golden Rule Number 1: deception is a shinobi's greatest weapon.

"Are the fighters ready?" Hayate called as he raised both his arms. Seeing the nods, he dropped them. "Begin!"

Kankurō started first, removing the straps from the brown-furred bundle behind his back before setting it beside him. With a cocky smirk, he directed his gaze towards Naruko who was still standing where she was before.

"I'd suggest you give up, girl," he began. "But then again, I wouldn't be able to pay you back for embarrassing me that day in the village if I had done so. Your unlucky day I guess …"

Naruko raised a delicate eyebrow, flipping out a kunai as she dropped into her ready stance. "I find words are empty when one doesn't have the strength or skill to back them up." She declared.

She swore she heard Naruto snort in both her mind and back on the railing, causing her to grin as an angry look overcame the war-paint wearing boy's face. There were several chuckles coming from her fellow Konoha-nin as well.

"Why you little …!" he said, before being swiftly cut off by Naruko, who had an all-too-innocent look on her angelic features.

"What brand of makeup did you wear?" she asked, causing Kankurō to glare daggers at her as his face turned red. "It's a good one when it makes you look like a sissy!"

"Hah!" came a bark of laughter from none other than Temari. "I told you!"

"Shut up!" Kankurō yelled indignantly. "It's _not_ makeup — it's war-paint! Why does everyone keep saying that it isn't?!"

Naruko rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, pretty boy." she said before rushing forward, aiming a slash at the older boy's head which he easily dodged, and the match truly began.

Naruto only looked on in pride as he watched his sister fight, easily noticing that their daily training sessions had paid off tremendously with interest.

Her every move, every step, every jab and every slash was preordained and utilized the least amount of force possible to achieve maximum results. No energy was wasted as every single movement was exploited to the fullest — it looked like a graceful dance routine rather than a taijutsu style.

This was what he had Naruko working on to perfect in the past few weeks, her own signature taijutsu technique: the Fūmuchi no Mai, or _'Dance of the Wind Goddess'_.

A fluid and graceful taijutsu style that suited Naruko's lithe form along with her agility, allowing her to create a literal whirlwind of continuous attacks without sacrificing each strike's speed and power, while also allowing her to twist around any attacks coming at her at the same time.

It was basically a superior form of the Snake Style taijutsu used by Orochimaru. While it certainly emphasizes fluidity in the user's attacks, it also encourages the user to think on their feet and incorporate unpredictability in their attacks — which was _perfect_ for one Uzumaki Naruko.

She had fully perfected the style a week before the exams thanks to her shadow clones, and was currently experimenting on adding wind chakra into her movements to further increase the power, fluidity and speed of her attacks. Naruto had no doubt she would achieve it given enough time and her steadfast determination.

He was so caught up in his musings that he was forcibly snapped out of his thoughts when Naruko landed a hard spinning kick onto Kankurō's face, sending the older boy stumbling a few steps backwards while holding his face in pain. Seizing the apparent opening, Naruko closed the distance between them with a well-time chakra-assisted dash to finish him off.

Imagine her surprise when Kankurō easily caught her fist with his hand, followed by the other as he put them into a deadlock with neither genin having the chance to attack. She winced slightly at the force of his grip, realizing with a startled jolt that the chakra she sensed within 'Kankurō' was far too less for a genin to have.

Her suspicions were confirmed when 'Kankurō's' face cracked, chips and pieces falling onto the floor to reveal an inhuman face with three eyes instead of two. Naruko mentally kicked herself for not sensing it sooner — the person she was fighting all along was just a _puppet!_

"Good hit there, girly." The puppet said in Kankurō's disembodied voice. "But it's over for you!"

The puppet's disguise fell away completely, revealing the distinctive form of Karasu (Crow), Kankurō's favorite puppet in all its glory. It's 'hands' then proceeded to wrap themselves around the blonde girl, holding her painfully in place as it started to crush her, eliciting a yell of pain from Naruko.

The bundle Kankurō had dropped earlier — forgotten until now — now made itself known as it unraveled to reveal a smirking Kankurō controlling his puppet with his chakra strings. "Hope you enjoyed the puppet show!" he said smugly. "Forfeit now or I'll crush your bones into powder!"

Naruto faintly heard Sakura worriedly asking Kakashi about Kankurō's puppets, but he was currently far too distracted by Naruko's pained screams that resounded in his ears, continuously pounding against his mind at every opportunity — torturing him with her screams. Many of her classmates had also called out in concern for their friend.

Just as Naruto was about to lose all composure and yell at Hayate to stop the match, he was startled out of his growing temper when he noticed the smirk on Naruko's lips through her pained grimace. Taking a deep calming breath, Naruto mentally kicked himself — it would take more than a mere puppet to stop an Uzumaki!

Kankurō was just about to tighten the noose around his prey, clearly enjoying the girl's screams when he was shocked out of his wits when Naruko disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Karasu's arms empty and hanging on its side.

Then he felt something sharp dig into his side, while also feeling another on his neck.

Turning his head slightly, the older Suna-nin was stunned and angered to see Naruko, gripping a kunai in each of her hands which took his ribs and neck hostage. Before he could even think of a way out of the mess he was in, another sharp point ended just mere milliliters from his nose as he directed his shocked gaze at the violet orbs of _another_ Naruko!

_'__Damn ... __**Kage Bunshin**__!' _he cursed in his mind. _'She's fast! I didn't even see her move!'_

Naruko smirked up at the glowering boy, amethyst eyes twinkling in amusement.

It had been so easy to replace herself with a shadow clone while she henged into something nondescript while the boy had been distracted from the unravelling from his bundle. The one thing that Naruko was proud to admit she 'inherited' from her beloved was his uncanny ability to think on his feet, as her current plan had been a spur of a moment decision.

And, just like Naruto, her plan paid off handsomely.

She saw him trying to shift his weight to find an escape route, prompting her clone to dig the kunais into her ribs a bit harder, forcing him to stop struggling.

"Yield." Naruko demanded coldly. "And don't even think about using your puppet — explosive tags are a commodity that I liberally stocked up on."

Seeing no other option left and feeling frustrated with himself, Kankurō growled in both frustration and defeat as he raised his only arm not trapped by the two blondes. "Proctor, I forfeit."

Hayate coughed.

"Winner, Uzumaki Naruko of Konoha!" he announced loudly.

The resounding cheer that echoed throughout the hall brought a huge smile onto Naruko's lip as she waved at her fellow Konoha-nin, who were shouting out their congratulations and expressing their jubilation with wild cheers. But all of them were completely ignored by her in favor of her brother, who was sporting a shit-eating grin that threatened to split his face in half as she reached him, promptly pulling him to her in a swift hug.

"I knew you could do it …" Naruto murmured into her ear, making her shiver. "I was foolish to be so worried."

Naruko sighed as she back away from the hug to look up at him, her purple orbs shining in understanding and love. She knew he wasn't lying — she could feel his anxiety all the way from the arena floor even without the bond they shared. Although it annoyed her to some degree, Naruko was immensely glad that he was worried about her. Kami knows that she would worry needlessly too if the situation were reversed.

"It's not foolish to be worried about me Onii-chan," she replied, repeating the words spoken to her by her caretaker long ago. "It's called being human."

Naruto only laughed, wholeheartedly agreeing with her.

They vaguely noticed a sulking Kankurō being berated by Baki and teased mercilessly by his sister while trying to avoid his younger brother who was sporting a slightly insane look in his teal eyes.

As the two Uzumakis turned their attention back to the screen, Naruto couldn't help but be excited for his match as he had never had the chance to fight her in his own dimension, and was itching to test his (intentional) limited abilities.

**_Sabaku no Temari_** VS **_Uzumaki Naruto_**

"Good luck, Onii-chan!" Naruko cheered with a warm smile, receiving a nod and a smile in return from him.

Bolstered by Naruko's words of encouragement, Naruto made his way down onto the arena floor. Temari was already there, watching him with wary teal eyes while tightening her grip on the large iron fan behind her. Taking a calming breath, Naruto slowly warmed himself up for the fight ahead, feeling the comforting tingle of his chakra coils coming to life.

"Are the fighters ready?" Hayate asked after another bout of coughing.

Naruto nodded along with Temari as he winced inwardly, pitying the sickly Jōnin's condition. He hoped that having ANBU follow Kabuto instead of Hayate would save the man's life — and save Yūgao from experiencing the pain of his death. He had no idea when and who he had heard the story from, but it came back to him when Naruto met Hayate again, and he was determined to change their fates.

"Now beginning the last round of the Chūnin Exam Preliminaries," Hayate said loudly, "Fight!"

Just as the proctor leapt away, Temari immediately unfurled a single moon on her battle fan before swinging it in a wide arc in Naruto's direction, sending up gale-force winds in her swing's wake.

Seeing the danger and seeing no other way out, Naruto braced himself against the wind with his chakra — luckily it was only a brute-force wind. It would be a whole different story when the winds had been aimed to cut at him. Once the wind passed harmlessly over his body, he narrowed his eyes at Temari's confident smirk.

"Impressive." She began. "You managed to stay on your feet and not get blown away. Don't worry — this is just one of my three moons. Once I open up all three on my fan, it'll be game over for you."

"We'll see." Naruto shot back evenly as he contemplated his situation.

Temari was an expert Wind Release practitioner, specializing in devastating long-range attacks as opposed to Naruto's skillset which were geared more towards short-to-mid range fighting. Short-range was out of the question as Temari could keep him at bay all day with her long-range attacks, and he wasn't proficient enough in his long-range arsenal to not accidentally kill her with one of his attacks.

With short and long ranges out, that left him with mid-range.

But then, he didn't always play by the rules — shinobi never do.

Naruto closed his eyes and took a calming breath, silently willing his chakra to certain parts of his body.

Temari had opened up a second moon on her war fan when she saw her opponent close his eyes, making her smirk thinking she had already won this little contest. Her elation was short lived however when she noticed a faint glow of blue chakra wisp along the blonde boy's outline, before fading away entirely.

Opening his cerulean eyes, Temari only saw Naruto smirk at her before blurring into motion, disappearing from sight.

The Suna kunoichi only had time to widen her eyes in disbelief before getting the wind knocked out of her.

She looked down at the fist buried in her gut just as her brain finally registered the pain, making her gasp. Before her mind and body could even form a response to the sudden pain, Temari's eyesight managed to catch a final glimpse of her opponent just before he disappeared and her world went black.

Naruto sighed as he let Temari crumple bonelessly to the floor, reactivating his weight seals as he did.

The match was over in exactly 42 seconds — Naruto took down Temari in less than 5 seconds — making it one of the fastest matches of the preliminaries, second only to Gaara's match who only used half the time Naruto used to literally crush his opponent.

He knew he could've put on a good show for the audience and drag out the fight, but that meant revealing his veritable arsenal of ninjutsu techniques that only Naruko knew about since she trained with him. He didn't want that, not at all — the less people who knew about his abilities (even when he held back), the better. Besides, after this demonstration, people would think that his immense speed was his greatest asset.

"Winner, Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha!" Hayate announced, keeping his awe perfectly hidden.

The silence in the arena hall was deafening. All the shinobi present stood there, jaws agape and eyes wide in disbelief. Even Hiruzen had accidentally dropped his stovepipe, hastily picking it up again once he snapped out of his shocked stupor chuckling as he did.

He wondered briefly if it was unfair to the other participants when he had let Naruto participate in this exam.

Kakashi meanwhile was stunned, completely ignoring his longtime friend Gai who was spouting off his usual flames of youth mantra at Naruto's display. For a moment, he saw Minato-sensei in the place of his latest student, once more increasing his suspicions. Making up his mind, Kakashi nodded to himself, promising to speak with the Sandaime after the prelims to confirm his suspicions.

The silence stretched for a moment longer before Naruko broke it with a loud cheer,

"Sugoi, Onii-chan!"

Her cheer seemed to spur the rest of the Konoha shinobi to do the same as they too started cheering for him, causing Naruto to unwittingly flush in embarrassment at the acknowledgment of his abilities. He had never really gotten used to being praised, only scorned, for his accomplishments even after Pain's attack, and he certainly wasn't doing better the second time around.

Noticing his uncomfortableness when he rubbed the back of his head, Naruko shook her head fondly. Hopping onto the railing and jumping down to the arena floor, Naruko ran the rest of the distance between them before enveloping Naruto in a strong hug which he returned.

Hayate looked at the hugging pair, amused slightly at the brother-sister show of affection.

He turned behind him to see Hiruzen walking slowly towards him, prompting the sickly Jōnin to bow, as per protocol during the prelims. The Sandaime Hokage came to a stop beside Hayate, and he nodded his approval.

Hayate cleared his throat after another coughing fit.

"Will the finalists please come join me on the arena floor?" he asked politely.

There were twelve finalists. All of them save Gaara were Konoha Shinobi — another change that Naruto had noticed this time around as he waited for the others to join him and Naruko as they lined up in front of their Hokage.

Hiruzen smiled warmly at them — no doubt the old man was pleased that most of this year's finalists were from Konoha, but Naruto wasn't sure. He was saved from thinking down that line of thought out of boredom when Hiruzen spoke up.

"Congratulations, to all of you for passing the preliminaries despite the short notice!" he began. "You have earned the right to compete in the third and final part of the exam — don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Now, as you all know, the third part will take place in the Chūnin Exam stadium arena exactly one month from now. I advise you all to train hard and prepare yourself for that day."

"My sincere congratulations to you all once again," Hiruzen continued, "I will see you once more in a month's time — I will now pass the floor over to your proctor, as I have business elsewhere. Good day to you all!"

With that, the Sandaime disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Hayate then stepped forward, holding out a box for them to see.

"What I am holding here is a box filled with cards which contains a number from 1 to 12." He explained. "What you all need to do right now is to draw a number, and we'll decide on how best to pair you all up for the finals."

After everyone nodded their assent and had drawn their cards, he set the box down and picked up a clipboard.

"Since Sasuke-san is absent at the moment, the last number will automatically be drawn for him." He said. "Now, state your names followed by your assigned numbers."

Naruto and Naruko both turned over their cards with the others doing the same. The Uzumaki siblings glanced at each other's numbers, before they nodded in unison.

"Uzumaki Naruto, number 5." He began.

"Uzumaki Naruko, number 1."

"Aburame Shino, number 7."

Neji scoffed. "Hyūga Neji, 2 …"

"Yahoo! Inuzuka Kiba, number 11!"

"Yosh! Rock Lee, number 6!" Lee shouted while pumping his fists, clearly eager for his final matchup.

Shikamaru sighed. "Nara Shikamaru … number 8 … troublesome." He said.

"Haruno Sakura, number 9."

"Hyūga Hinata, number 10." She said, smiling at Sakura who nervously smiled back.

"Sabaku no Gaara … number 4."

"Tenten, number 12."

"And that makes Sasuke-san number 3 …" Hayate nodded, coughing once as he turned the clipboard over. "Thank you for your cooperation — the matchup for the finals will be as follows …"

_Match 1: Uzumaki Naruko VS Hyūga Neji_

_Match 2: Uchiha Sasuke VS Sabaku no Gaara_

_Match 3: Rock Lee VS Uzumaki Naruto_

_Match 4: Aburame Shino VS Nara Shikamaru_

_Match 5: Haruno Sakura VS Hyūga Hinata_

_Match 6: Inuzuka Kiba VS Tenten_

Naruto raised a surprised eyebrow.

The original timeline / dimension only had four matches, followed by two semifinal matches and one final match. This time around was changed drastically. Instead of two advancing participants, there were three; so Naruto hadn't had a clue as to how the matchups will proceed after that. It was all because of that team from Iwagakure …

_'__Damn …'_ he thought. _'Kurama, do you think this will affect anything in the long run?'_

There was a small pause as the Kyūbi was deep in thought for a moment.

**"****Frankly, I don't know kit." **Kurama said honestly to both of his containers. **"We'll just have to hope that Black Zetsu is as cocky as we think it is, otherwise it's going to be a huge clusterf—."**

_– __Kurama-nii, language! – _Naruko interrupted, earning an indignant huff from the Bijū. _– In any case, we'll just have to be careful and let fate run its course for now. I hope to Kami that nothing overly bad happens …–_

_– __Hey, cheer up Naruko-chan, –_ Naruto soothed. _– Kami didn't send me and Kurama back just to see us fail_ _—_ _we __**will**_ _succeed, and nothing, not even the plant bastard or that bitc… –_

_– __Language! –_

_– …__hag Kaguya is going to stop me — stop __**us **__— from saving as many people as we can, and then some! – _

Naruko smiled fondly at the encouraging and confident tone he was using. He could just as easily quell her nervousness and fear as she did for him, and she was grateful for that. Heaven knows that she couldn't go through all of her life's challenges alone, and she idly wondered how she had muddled her way through life before that fateful meeting.

"As Hokage-sama said, the third part of the Chūnin Exams will be held exactly one month from now." Hayate informed the assembled genin. "Until then, rest up and train for the finals. Hopefully I'll see you all at the finals, dismissed!"

As all the genin began to leave, Naruko was about the leave as well when she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders. She turned her head to look at a warmly smiling Naruto.

"Let's go home Naruko-chan — I'll shushin us back." He said.

Naruko nodded with a slight tilt of her head, confusion clear on her features. "What's the rush, Onii-chan? Couldn't we just walk home?" she asked.

To her surprise, Naruto laughed lightly while shaking his head. He looked around him to check for anyone nearby, before leaning forward to plant a kiss on her lips, startling her. It was then that it hit her — their date.

Pulling back, Naruto grinned. "Dinner at seven? I have reservations at this nice little place called Café Midori."

Naruko gawked at him.

"How long have you been planning this?" she couldn't help but ask, feeling a blush coming up her cheeks. "We haven't been outside of this Kami-forsaken forest for days!"

Naruto smiled, tapping the side of head in emphasis.

"Kage Bunshin using Shushin make wonderful couriers don't you think?" he remarked with a chuckle before disappearing with her in a swirl of leaves.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

After arriving at their apartment, the newly established couple took their time in cleaning themselves up for their date. Since it was just three in the afternoon, an unspoken agreement was brokered between them to rest and relax their mind and bodies before tonight.

Changing into a black tee-shirt and orange slacks, Naruto plopped down onto the living room sofa intending to get a few winks while he was at it. Not long after he had closed his eyes, Naruto felt a comfortable weight settle into his side along with the smell of vanilla and wild flowers that reached his nose.

Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of Naruko — who had also freshened up and changed into casual wear — cuddling into his side with her eyes closed. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Naruto was content to just watch his new girlfriend sleep, carefully brushing stray strands of golden hair out of her face as he drank in her features.

He thanked Kami for the thousandth time for sending him here to be with her, and apologized again for the pranking threat he had issued when he had first arrived.

He was just about to slip into sleep's comfortable embrace, snuggled up with his beloved when the sound of someone knocking on glass cleared the drowsiness away in a blink. Craning his neck around to look for the source of the noise, kunai already in hand, he saw the last person he expected see perched on the balcony of their apartment — Hatake Kakashi.

Raising his eyebrows in a questioning manner, he saw Kakashi gesture to him before jerking his head behind him. Once the young-again boy deciphered the Jōnin's meaning, Naruto sighed.

Translation: 'Come see me — we need to talk.'

Nodding his head in assent, he silently crossed his fingers being careful not to jostle the sleeping beauty in his arms. A second later, a shadow clone materialized beside the couple. The clone sighed with a small smile as he turned towards his creator.

"What do you need, boss?" he whispered.

The original jerked his head towards Kakashi, who was still perched on the balcony.

"Meet with him and see what he wants, and _no_ I am _not_ going to Kawarimi with you." He supplied briefly, earning a small pout from the clone. "I've filled you with enough chakra to last for nearly a day and also to take a few serious hits. Dispel when you're done."

Clone-Naruto saluted. "You got it, boss!" he whispered before heading over to the balcony.

Kakashi was still casually leaning against the wall of the building while standing on one of the ledges, orange book in hand when Clone-Naruto poked his head out of the window to look at him.

The lazy Jōnin casually eye smiled at him, giving a jaunty wave.

"Yo, Naruto!" he greeted. "Can you spare a few moments to talk?"

Clone-Naruto nodded. "I'm just a Kage Bunshin — boss didn't want to disturb Naruko-chan's rest. She deserved it after what she's been through in the past few days." He said.

"So I've heard," Kakashi sighed. "Let's go somewhere more private to talk, shall we?"

"I've got a place — top of the Hokage Mountain, the head of the Yondaime to be precise."

Kakashi nodded. The place seemed appropriate for their talk, judging from what the Sandaime had told him a few days before.

He shushined away just as Clone-Naruto did, and they both reappeared on top of the Hokage Mountain a moment later. A light breeze was blowing through the area, slightly lessening the tension of the silver-head's nerves at the discussion he was playing out in his head since the beginning of the Chūnin Exams.

He had been plagued by what he had seen during the mission to Nami when Naruko had used the Rasengan — Minato-sensei's original technique, and his mind had quickly connected the dots. Kakashi figured the extra training she had done with Naruto during the week before the final confrontation was to master the technique. Then he came upon another question — who had taught her?

The answer was simple, and slightly unsettling — Uzumaki Naruto.

Kakashi's mind tried to reject the idea first, but the more he thought about it, the more it made _sense_.

Naruto was exceptionally talented — and powerful, frighteningly so — for his age. He was blonde and looked almost _identical_ to his late sensei. His mannerisms and quirks, no matter how well he tried to hide them, were a mix between the only two people Kakashi ever considered to be his foster-parents during his youth — Uzumaki Kushina and Namikaze Minato.

He had known Kushina-san was pregnant with Minato-sensei's child, Naruko was proof of that. But, Kakashi mused, even _he_ didn't know the full details of what exactly transpired that night, 13 years ago and he was an ANBU _Captain_.

Was it possible that Kushina-san was having not one, but _two_ children? Could it be that Naruto was somehow the lost son of the Yondaime Hokage that the world forgot? After all, once you eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.

The Sandaime had confessed that he had been hiding the boy from the world until the time was right, but that didn't really explain the 'why'.

Why was the boy raised apart from his twin sister? Why was he hidden in the first place? How had he gotten so powerful, so young? Those were the questions that plagued one Hatake Kakashi's mind as he looked at the back of the boy in question. He blonde looked so much like Minato-sensei it was surreal.

"I know you have questions Kakashi-sensei," Clone-Naruto began softly, running his hands through his hair. "Hokage-Jiji said as much when you came looking for answers."

"Hokage-sama knew I would come looking for you?" Kakashi couldn't help but ask, intrigued.

Just like Naruko, Naruto had a very close relationship with the wizened village leader, as to be expected of the one that kept the boy hidden away. How had he gotten the news so fast? Probably from a private courier, if Kakashi were to hazard a guess. After all, he had his fair share of using them during his tenure as ANBU Captain.

Unknown to the silver-haired Jōnin, Naruto was slowly stringing things along just as he had discussed with Hiruzen and Naruko. They would under no circumstances, reveal that he was from an alternate future and knew what was probably going to happen in the future. Instead, the three of them settled for giving their closest confidants half-truths — about his past, how he got here, and of course, his heritage and relationship to his sister.

They had a working alibi on why was he absent during the early years of Naruko's life, largely thanks to Hiruzen who agreed to vouch for him as the legitimate son to the late Yondaime Hokage. After all, the Kiiroi Senkō himself had already acknowledged Naruto as his son.

"Kind of," Naruto said, shrugging as he placed a privacy seal soundlessly around them. "He knew you'd be curious — and suspicious — as to why there was a Yondaime carbon copy running around the village and claiming to be the Yondaime's daughter's brother."

"How did you …?"

"Tou-chan was very discrete when Kaa-chan was pregnant with the both of us …" Naruto explained quietly as if he wasn't interrupted.

Seeing that he had shocked his listener, he continued his well-crafted backstory with the help of his meditation techniques to keep his facial expressions realistic at the appropriate times. It wouldn't do when his actions and emotions contradict his words.

He really should get an award for his near flawless acting, he thought amusedly. He pointedly ignored the scoff in his mind as he cleared his throat.

"According to Hokage-Jiji, I was born 5 minutes earlier than Naruko-chan during that night 13 years ago." He said, "At the time, no one knew Kaa-chan was having twins, not even their closest friends. Tou-chan wanted to surprise everyone the next day when he announced our births."

Naruto was careful to add a tone a bitter resentment at the end, which wasn't hard to do as Black Zetsu came to mind. Thankfully, Kakashi noticed this but kept his silence, motioning Naruto gently to continue his 'tale'.

"But the night of my birth — _our_ births — was also the night when Kyūbi came knocking on Konoha's front door," he said tersely, "Contrary to popular belief, the Kyūbi did not attack Konoha on his own free will."

If Kakashi was shocked by this, he did a very good job at hiding it as he asked. "What do you mean?"

Naruto sighed, adding to the effect he was trying to give the silver-head. "He was provoked, ironically, by an _Uchiha_ of all people." He said, putting emphasis on 'Uchiha'. "He called himself Uchiha Madara — yes, _the_ Uchiha Madara. Senju Hashirama's bitter rival and Konoha's greatest traitor. He was the one who freed the Kyūbi from its prison — my mother."

Kakashi nodded, despite the shock of hearing the attacker's identity. That much he understood as the Sandaime had told him and him only about the circumstances of the Kyūbi's attack that night. But he _didn't _know that it was the one of the village founders who released it.

Naruto felt sorry for the man. Here he was trying to lessen the pain the man was bound to feel once he found out that the Madara impersonator was in fact his friend and teammate, Uchiha Obito. Kami had forbidden him from interfering, and had grudgingly gone along with it although he still couldn't see _why_.

"That was when the Kyūbi was literally ripped out of my mum by Madara, or so Jiji told me." Naruto continued quietly as he remembered that memory of his mother's scream of agony as Kurama was forcibly torn from her weakened seal. "And set upon the village under the influence of the Sharingan. I don't know exactly what happened that night, but to make a long story short — dad managed to break Madara's control over the beast, kicked the bastard's ass and sent him packing."

Kakashi remained silent, contemplating the boy's words while trying to reel in his shocked state of mind. He may be ANBU Captain during the time of the attack, but that didn't mean the Sandaime told him everything that had happened, not even as the only surviving member of Team 7 — Minato's Team.

Naruto, seeing the man was letting him continue, obliged.

"The rest of the story, as they say, is history." He said, "The Yondaime defeated the Kyūbi at the cost of his own life, thus saving Konoha from destruction. Of course, that was the _official_ story. We _both_ know what really happened to it, am I right Kakashi-sensei?"

Naruto turned back to look at the silver head, an eyebrow raised in question. The man didn't even make an effort to deny it, as he solemnly nodded.

"Naruko." The man said simply.

"Naruko-chan," Naruto nodded sadly, reflecting the pain he had felt when he was younger. "Tou-chan sealed half of the Kyūbi's chakra into her — the Yang half — and making her a Jinchuriki since then, while his life was demanded as payment for completing the Shiki Fūin …"

Kakashi suddenly perked up at something the blonde had said, making him pause.

"I'm sorry," he began uncertainly. "But did you say … _half_ of the Kyūbi's chakra?"

Were it not for the seriousness of the discussion in question, Naruto would have outright laughed at the disbelieving expression shown on the Jōnin's face despite the mask — single eye wide, jaw hanging open and closing every once in a while — it was quite comical in his opinion. He would have to show the memory to Naruko later.

"That's right — _half_." Naruto confirmed. "Because the Kyūbi was so powerful, dad needed to split its chakra in half in order for it to not kill Naruko-chan outright when he sealed the beast within her. The other half — the Yin half — was sealed into another infant …"

Naruto smirked at the man's expression as it finally dawned on him. He knew he was enjoying toying with his Jōnin-sensei way too much, but he didn't care. It was payback for all the times Kakashi had made him wait during their team assignments when he was younger.

He was petty like that.

"No … you can't mean …" Kakashi breathed out, shakily running a hand through his gravity-defying hair. "The other half of the Kyūbi no Kitsune was sealed in _you?_"

The blonde boy nodded, sending Kakashi reeling. The silver-haired Jōnin felt lightheaded as revelation after revelation came crashing into him without warning or pause. Nothing, not even his extensive training and years of experience had prepared him for _this_. It was almost too much for the man for he felt like passing out there and then.

For Naruto's part, he resisted the urge to wince every time he referred to his surrogate brother as 'it', but Kurama assured him that it was fine. Although the Bijū may be fine with it, but Naruto still felt a total jerk for even thinking of his closest friend that way. It was funny for the blonde to think that he would go from hating the fox with every fiber of his being when he was younger, to considering Kurama to be one of his closest confidants next to Naruko after bonding with the beast.

Kakashi sighed, calming down from his near hysteria as he recollected his thought process.

He _really_ could use a drink right about now.

"Okay then …" he started cheerily, regaining his former character. "Was there anything else I should know? Kami knows that I'm just waiting for another shoe to drop from you before I go crazy."

Naruto laughed at his Jōnin-sensei. He could still feel the doubt the man had in his emotions, but Naruto was confident. With the Sandaime vouching for his story, Kakashi would no doubt accept it as the truth, and nothing but the truth.

"Nothing right now, no." Naruto shrugged. "I speak for the boss when I say we're glad when you asked. Carrying this secret around for all these years wasn't easy. Carrying it around _Naruko-chan_ was just outright impossible — I couldn't keep it from her even if I wanted to."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. "So, Naruko already knows about your past, along with the fact that you're her twin brother?"

"Hai."

"How did she take it?" the silver head asked.

Naruto smiled warmly, causing Kakashi to eye smile as well. The blonde boy smiling was all the answer he needed, for that he was relieved. Now that he knew that Minato-sensei had _children_, he would protect them to the best of his abilities.

Suddenly, another question came up, causing Kakashi to flush just a little at the thought. But, he reasoned with himself, it had to be asked no matter how embarrassing or uncomfortable it made him and his student.

"So …" he began trying to sound nonchalant, making Naruto look at him questioningly. "Remember that first night during the mission to Nami? When you took first watch with me and Naruko?"

Naruto nodded, frowning slightly as he did. He had a pretty good idea where the conversation was going, and he was hoping that it could be postponed to a later date. After all, most people would never truly understand the unique bond he shared with his most precious person, and they probably never will.

Kakashi walked up before stopping beside Naruto, joining the boy in gazing down at the village below. From their viewpoint, everything looked so peaceful as they watched the villagers go about their daily lives. Naruto closed his eyes, letting the wind caress him as he savored the peaceful atmosphere, knowing in a month's time it would all be shattered by the fires of war and death.

"Did you remember what she said?" Kakashi murmured softly, but Naruto heard him loud and clear. "About how she couldn't put another boy in her life because she loved you too much?"

Naruto chuckled, earning a look from his sensei. "I'm well aware of that, sensei."

"Well, what do you think about it?"

Naruto shrugged easily, the corners of his lips lifting into a fond smile. Kakashi knew that expression all too well — it was the expression Minato had given Kushina whenever the redheaded beauty was around during their team's training sessions. He didn't know if he was comforted by that look or not.

"You have to understand one thing about us, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said, grimacing. "We never grew up together as brother and sister — which I still hate myself for even though I know the situation is out of my control."

"When I met her for the first time in that training ground, I thought she was _beautiful _— _breathtaking _even. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the angel in front of me." He continued with fond remembrance. "At the time, I didn't know who she was — just an attractive girl that I had just met and became friends with. I was thinking of asking her out on a date after I got my shinobi license when Hokage-Jiji told me …"

Kakashi was surprised. He hadn't known how the two siblings had met. Listening to the boy, he could understand the boy's reasoning at feeling something more than what a brother should actually feel for Naruko.

Who could blame them? They were complete strangers after all, so it wasn't uncommon for them to develop attractions to one another.

Kakashi was wondering why Naruto was so open about talking about his relationship with Naruko when it hit him.

"Wait. Does that mean …?" Kakashi trailed off, turning to look at Naruto with a raised eyebrow as if daring the boy to deny his accusation.

Naruto sighed in acceptance. He should've known that it was pointless to hide almost anything from the silver head.

Typical Kakashi, always inquisitive and competent at the most inappropriate moments, like now for instance. Once Kakashi drops his aloof and lazy persona, the man who was once ANBU Captain and the Yondaime's protégé becomes readily apparent. No wonder he was one of the strongest shinobi of his generation.

Seeing the boy chuckle, Kakashi let out one as well. "I really should advise you against this, I _really _should_ …_"

"Why?" Naruto interjected with a raised eyebrow, a touch of irritation in his tone. "What is wrong with loving someone unconditionally, even if that someone is your sister?"

Seeing the blonde's rising temper (Kakashi had never seen the boy _truly_ angry and he sincerely hoped he wouldn't have to) Kakashi held up his hands in a placating manner.

"You didn't let me finish Naruto," Kakashi chided lightly with an eye smile. "I said that I really should advise you against this — but I won't!"

"Eh?" was Naruto's intelligent response. His bewildered shock must have shown on his face, however, as Kakashi began chuckling.

"You're not the only one who read up on the history of the Uzumaki Clan," Kakashi supplied with a lazy shrug, having already taken out his orange book and started leafing through it absentmindedly. "Minato-sensei had me and my team read it once when barely anyone knew what _really_ happened to Uzushiogakure during the Second War — which made your father _really_ angry."

Running a hand through his silvery hair, he continued. "If you were any other person, I would've _vehemently_ tried to persuade you from doing something that the both of you would later regret. But, seeing as that you're both Uzumakis …" he trailed off, a smile crinkling behind his mask. "That makes that particular hurdle a moot point."

At that moment, Naruto would've stumbled if he were walking, but seeing as he was standing in the same spot for the past ten minutes, instead he only stared in shock at the older man. Naruto wondered if Kakashi was just leading him on, or his preferred choice of literature had finally rotted his brain cells. If he were to bet his money on it, it would be on the latter.

But, then, Naruto thought back to the countless number of times that Kakashi had been the most understanding of his teachers, next to Iruka of course, but definitely up there among the top of his list. The silver head's uncanny insight and kind demeanor when the situation called for it was one of the many reasons Naruto had highly respected the man.

A short, but not uncomfortable, silence ensued between the two of them as the soft wind blew gently in the background. Then —

"Thank you for understanding … Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said with a bright smile, which was returned with a thumbs up and eye smile from Kakashi.

"Don't mention it, Naruto." He replied, looking up at the sky as his lone eye glazed over, seemingly lost in thought. Naruto followed the man's gaze, simply gazing up at the clouds that lazily drifted by. "Your father, Minato-sensei, would've wanted his children to be happy, and I intend to honor that wish. If being together makes the two of you happy, I can rest easy knowing that."

Naruto let out a relieved laugh at that. He thought that being together as a couple with Naruko even though they were siblings was seen as taboo in today's society, and although they had expected it, being shunned by society once more was not an appealing thought to the two considering their backgrounds.

Kakashi's support of their new relationship was like a balm to their troubled souls for they knew they were not entirely alone in facing the world. Now, all they need to do was the convince _everyone_ other than Kakashi to accept their relationship. Easier said than done.

He couldn't wait to dispel to give the boss the good news.

"What are you going to do about your heritage, though?" Kakashi's question snapped Naruto out of his musings, making the blonde turn his head to look at the taller man. "You know people are going to talk eventually right? I'm sure I'm not the only one who noticed your resemblance to your father, despite you using your mother's maiden name — your performance in the preliminaries by emphasizing your speed would only fuel the speculations."

The silver haired Jōnin had a point. By not showing his ninjutsu arsenal, Naruto had revealed and established his most prominent skill — his immense speed. Another change from his own dimension in which Naruto wasn't nearly as fast when compared to his younger self. Naruto had acknowledged the fact that he couldn't pretend to get better over time and hide away his skills — that was just plain stupid, and downright suicidal. He didn't need another chewing out from his girlfriend for being stupidly reckless.

But, then again, _Naruko_ sometimes was even _more_ reckless than Naruto ever was. He guessed the reckless streak must run in the family.

"Don't worry about it sensei — Hokage-Jiji has got it all sorted out." Naruto explained vaguely. "You'll find out exactly a month from now."

Kakashi hummed.

"So, during the finals?" he asked rhetorically, already knowing the answer to that question.

Naruto nodded.

"During the finals." He glanced over Kakashi, sly smirk playing on his lips. "And trust me — you're going to like this."

Before Kakashi could contemplate that frankly ominous remark, Naruto pivoted on his heels and gave him a two-fingered salute along with a shit-eating grin that was fast becoming his trademark.

"See you in a month Kakashi-sensei." He called, "If you ever need to talk with us, by us I meant Naruko-chan and me, about our parents — feel free to drop by anytime. Well, be seeing you — the boss has a date to prepare for!"

With that parting shot, Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke as he dispelled, leaving a slightly amused Kakashi shaking his head in disbelief at the blonde's antics. Flipping over to another page on his novel, the silver-head disappeared without a trace with one thought in mind.

_'__Namikaze Naruto … it does have a nice ring to it.'_

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

Naruko was giddy.

No, wait. Giddy wasn't the right word — excited, lightheaded, or deliriously happy couldn't even begin to describe what Uzumaki Naruko was feeling at the moment. So, after much deliberation on her part (which to her, it probably took all three seconds) she settled on 'bliss'. And nervous, of course, she _can't_ forget of nervous.

When she had woken up from her short nap, snuggled into her favorite person in the world, Naruko thought her life couldn't get any better. She was a certified kunoichi, had the respect she _earned_ and best of all her one seemingly impossible wish had come true and that same impossible dream was about to take her out on a _date_! It was hard to imagine what life was like before Uzumaki Naruto came into her life, and she couldn't believe that it had barely been two and a half months since he had arrived.

Then, Naruto went and made it even better by explaining what Kakashi-sensei had wanted to talk about. He told her how his shadow clone had given the cover story perfectly, along with bits, pieces and half-truths about Naruto's true origins. She laughed her heart out when Naruto had described the flabbergasted look the normally lazy and seemingly aloof Jōnin was capable of showing even with the mask in place.

Then came the part of their conversation that made Naruko's soar — Kakashi's acceptance of their 'unique' relationship.

Naruko herself knew just how ignorant the current generation was about the fate of the Uzumaki Clan — heck, most of them didn't even know that the name 'Uzumaki' was once a very prominent clan name. The Sandaime had explained it when she was old enough to understand (eight years old) and Naruko had promised herself to never forget her origins for it was the only link she had to her family.

Family. The word had seemed so alien to her when Naruko had first learnt it — seeing the other kids going back to their parents constantly reminded her of the fact that she had _none_.

And it hurt.

It hurt knowing that no matter what she did, she couldn't bring them back. Oh, she had the Sandaime, Iruka-sensei, Hikari-san and the Ichirakus, but they couldn't replace the family that she had never met but loved with all her heart despite not having met them. She had mournfully accepted the reality that she would never meet her birth parents to hear them tell her how they loved her …

Then, like the maelstrom that was his namesake, _he_ came.

And everything after that seemed like a dream — it was like every single wish she had made since she was a little girl had come true right before her eyes. It was as if the gods had granted her a reprieve, heeded her cries for help and sent a miracle. _He_ was her miracle.

A pleasant feeling of warmth spread from her chest. Naruko sighed contentedly — even the mere thought of him sent pleasant tingles down her spine.

And now here she was, dressed up for the occasion while holding hands with her most cherished person as they made their way to their destination. Naruko hadn't known what to wear for her first official date — silly, she knew, but she just couldn't help it!

After spending an inordinate amount time picking out her outfits, which were quite few compared to other girls her age, Naruko settled on a navy blue sundress (which was a gift to her by Ayame) with a thin, burnt orange sash-like belt that held to whole ensemble together. The dress accentuated her growing figure and went down to her knees, perfect for her to wear form-fitting kunoichi pants underneath for added mobility should the need ever arise. She also strapped a kunai holster underneath her dress — she was still a kunoichi after all, even when she wasn't on a mission. She decided to let her hair down instead of her usual pigtails, letting the golden locks flow gracefully down her back in velvety waves.

Glancing at the blonde boy next to her, Naruko took the time to drink in the sight.

Naruto still had his grey hoodie jacket on, which he's grown quite attached to since he had first worn it, but swapped his blue shinobi pants for black colored slacks. He also wore a white T-shirt underneath the jacket, which was left unzipped, which showed the Konoha emblem emblazoned on the front of the shirt. Naruko also noticed he had modified the jacket somewhat — no doubt done right after the preliminaries. She figured he must have sent shadow clones to complete his work.

Instead of the normal plain grey, in addition to the red Uzumaki spiral on the back, camouflage patterns in shades of grey, black, and dark-blue replaced it. The bright red of the Uzumaki spiral was now a dull-red as well. Naruko had to admit, despite being obviously modified for camouflaging purposes, it had certain aesthetic feel to them as well. His hair however was still as messy and spiky as ever.

"We're here Naruko-chan," Naruto's voice broke Naruko out of her thoughts. Looking around, she noticed that they had ventured into the more wealthy part of the village. She recalled that nearly all of Konoha's major shinobi clans lived in this area as well. "May I present to you — Café Midori!"

Naruto gestured grandiosely at a quaint, but homely restaurant that was quite packed with people. Already, there was a long line of customers waiting to be seated outside. Naruko had only heard about Café Midori from second-hand accounts — mostly from gossiping girls back during her Academy years. It was reputed to be a well-known place for dating couples to dine and relax in.

The last thought elicited a small blush on her dainty cheeks.

Naruto glanced at his companion, a cheeky grin on his face right as he pulled her along. Ignoring the looks they were receiving from the patrons in line, Naruto led them straight towards the front of the queue where the attending waiter, a young woman around her late 20's, looked away from the grumpy aristocratic couple she was attending — Hyūga by the looks of them — and smiled brightly upon seeing the two blondes.

"Naruto-san!" the waiter greeted brightly. The two Hyūga patrons gave her a condescending look. "You arrived just in time — table for two, as per your _reservation_?"

"Yes, Airi-san," Naruto confirmed, knowing that the added emphasis on the last word was aimed at the Hyūga patrons, who looked ready to throw a fit at being totally sidelined in favor of the blonde couple. "Table for two please for my 7 o'clock reservation under Uzumaki Naruto."

Airi made a show of searching through her checklist, and then made an exaggerated motion of ticking off the name on it before gesturing towards the door. Naruko was just barely holding back her laughter, and she saw that Naruto wasn't doing any better either judging by his shaking shoulders.

"Right this way, you two!" Airi said as she ushered the couple inside, breathing out a sigh of relief once out of earshot of the two Hyūgas. "Good thing you arrived when you did, Naruto-san — I was close to blowing up on those two _esteemed _members of society and my boss wouldn't like the aftermath of that."

Naruto chuckled. "It was our pleasure —"

"— to disrupt the agendas of our _esteemed_ members of society, especially pale-eyed ones." Naruko finished before breaking down into a fit of giggles, causing both Naruto and Airi to laugh as well.

"But, anyway, thanks for that." Airi said after a few moments of sobering up. "Come on — your table is at a quiet spot that offers a great view of Konoha's nightlife. Trust me — you'll love it."

"Lead the way, then." Naruto replied with a smile.

It didn't take them long to reach their table on the second floor, which sat beside a floor length window that offered a lovely view of the village proper. Wanting to be a proper gentleman just for the night, Naruto helped Naruko into her seat, holding out the chair for her as she took the seat with a warm smile.

After Airi had taken their orders and left, the two of them enjoyed a comfortable moment of silence between them, content with just each other's presence in their lives. They didn't need words, for their minds were forever linked due to their unique bond with Kurama, so they both knew _exactly_ what the other was feeling at the moment.

Naruto sighed as contentment washed over him.

"How are you enjoying your date so far?" he asked, smiling when Naruko graced him with a beaming smile.

"It's like everything I've ever dreamed of — except a hundred times better." she replied happily, leaning back as she relaxed in her seat. "It's one thing to talk about going on dates and kissing boys with Hinata-chan, but it's a whole different ball game when presented with the real thing — it gets overwhelming at times."

Naruto raised a curious eyebrow, intrigued. "Overwhelming?"

"Yes," Naruko replied breathily, leaning forward with a shy but no less sultry smile. "Do you know we always talk about how we want our first dates? Us girls in general, I mean — who we want to date, how it goes, where it was, that sort of stuff. You hear stories from the older girls who dated dozens of guys but just couldn't find the right one for them …"

Naruto nodded, frowning slightly as he did. He had a rough idea of where the conversation was going, and he didn't dare interrupt her lest she lose her confidence to continue and would have to wait for another opportunity to talk about it again. For the second time since Naruto knew her, Naruko was baring her heart out for him and knew in her heart that he would not — _never_ — judge her in any way.

"They talked about their first dates, you know." Naruko continued. "It will be awkward when it's time for your first date, they said. Don't expect too much from it since it's the first, they said. It's kind of silly, getting worried about these kinds of things but the thought still lingers at the back of your head, you know?"

There was a small pause. Naruto was worried that she had gotten herself depressed again though the bond said otherwise. Then, Naruko slowly looked up and locked eyes with him as brilliant amethyst clashed with calming cerulean, and her face lit up with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen on the blonde beauty's face.

Again, Naruto was reminded just how _beautiful_ the girl in front of him was.

"But, when I'm with you …" she said softly, "I know that I can be myself, be Uzumaki Naruko, and you would still care for me even with all my faults just like I would care for you. I can always be myself and never worry about being judged for being, well, _me_. At first, I thought it was because you're my brother, but normal sisters don't dream about _kissing_ their brothers senseless when they sleep every night right?"

Naruto nearly spewed out the drink he was sipping when Naruko said those words, causing him to cough as the liquid entered his airways. He glared at his girlfriend who was giggling at his plight, though he noticed she was blushing as well. Naruto also felt his own cheeks light up, but tried to mask his embarrassment with coughing fits which only served to make Naruko titter harder.

That was _not_ what he was expecting — even though he too had dreamt of kissing her and other … _steamier_ activities which always left him uncomfortably bothered.

"Well," he began, "We're not exactly normal, are we?"

"No," Naruko conceded with a smile. "I guess we're not."

"Then I don't see a problem with that," Naruto declared brightly, slightly startling the blonde girl across from him. "I feel the same way too Naruko-chan — Kami-sama knew how long it took for me to actually sort out my own feelings, but I do know _this_."

Reaching out, Naruto lightly clutched his girlfriend's (he could no longer see her as anything but that) soft hands with his own calloused ones. Wrapping his hands around them tightly, he looked determinedly into Naruko's beautiful violet orbs while simultaneously opening up their bond. The pure _delight_ he felt radiating from her over their bond along with the misted over eyes told Naruto that his feelings were conveyed.

Drawing their clasped hands towards him, Naruto pressed a kiss onto Naruko's knuckles, which made her shiver at the contact.

"I really, _really _like you, Uzumaki Naruko." Naruto declared firmly. "I've never felt so strongly for … well, _anyone_ in my life before."

"What's this, Onii-chan?" Naruko tried to tease, but found her voice to be horribly cracked from the emotion she was feeling. "First date and you're already declaring your love for me?"

Naruto paused a moment to collect his thoughts.

"I meant what I said, Naruko-chan." He whispered, "I have _never_ in my two lifetimes felt so strongly about anyone before. I may be new to this feelings thing, but I want to give it a try —" he looked up then, azure eyes burning in determination and love. "— I want to give _us_ a try."

The sincerity in his words along with the love she felt radiating from their bond finally opened the floodgates, causing tears to flow freely from her eyes which were alight with pure _joy_. She had promised herself not to cry anymore (she cried once too many times in a span of three days when she first learned about her parents, along with _meeting_ them right after that) but she could count this as a special occasion.

Seeing the tears, Naruto reached over to gently wipe them away with his thumb. Naruko gave him an apologetic smile along with a nudge in their bond, telling him she was alright.

"Will you give me a chance?" Naruto asked with a warm, expectant smile. "Will you give _us_ a chance?"

Naruko let out a watery laugh.

"Of course I do, you baka …" she replied with an endearing smile, "I believe we established that during the written exams."

"I'm glad." Naruto said, a sheepish grin now curled at his lips. "Planning this speech in my head is _a lot_ easier than actually saying it out loud to you — that's the scariest thing I went through since coming here. I'd rather do D-ranks than go through that again …"

Her response to his admission was to collapse into a giggling fit, which grew louder when Naruto pouted at her. His intended effect was ruined by the growing chuckles coming from his throat, which soon grew into full blown laughter as he joined his girlfriend in on her titters.

If some of the café's customers would turn to look at the source of the bright laughter, they would witness an endearing sight — two blonde teenagers, boy and girl, laughing happily and without care in the world. It painted a picturesque scene about two young teenagers, relaxing and finding happiness in each other. It helped that some of the patrons recognized their resident bubbly Jinchuriki.

As their food arrived and they began to eat, the Uzumaki couple spent the rest of the evening talking animatedly about anything and nothing at all. Naruko was glad to see that Naruto was slowly but surely coming out of his survivor's guilt of surviving the Fourth Shinobi World War. Naruto was also glad to see his girlfriend's eyes only held a small hint of the loneliness that was prevalent when they had first met.

Once they finished, Naruto footed the bill despite Naruko's of wanting to split it between them. He reasoned that he had been saving up just for the occasion, eliciting a blush from the blonde girl at the boy's thoughtfulness even as she halfheartedly chastised him for doing so just for her.

Eventually, after roaming around the village streets sightseeing and enjoying Konoha's peaceful atmosphere, the young couple found themselves on top of the Hokage Mountain. The cool night air was gently blowing, further adding to the peaceful atmosphere they were experiencing. Naruto sat cross-legged on the grass, both arms propped up behind him as support as he leant back on them while gazing at the village below. Naruko sat in front of him, resting her back against Naruto's legs and her head on his stomach while sighing in happiness.

This was a routine of theirs ever since they started living together. At the end of each day, they would return to this spot on top of the Hokage Mountain affectionately dubbed 'their spot' to rest and relax after a tiring day of missions or training. The peaceful, panoramic view of the village serves to remind the two Uzumaki siblings about what was it they were fighting for in the first place every single day. Today was no different — discounting the fact that they were on their first official date as a couple.

"You look beautiful today," Naruto complimented, "Have I ever told you that today?"

Naruko hummed impishly.

"You may have said it, once or twice," she teased mock-thoughtfully, turning to look up at him through half-lidded eyes. "I wouldn't be opposed to be reminded from time to time."

Naruto chuckled, "As you wish, milady."

He leaned down, meeting Naruko's lips with his own in a soft kiss. They hadn't gotten the chance to kiss when they were in public — their relationship was still a secret after all. The two of them, via unspoken agreement, intend to keep it a secret until the time was right for them to reveal it to their friends — hopefully without the subsequent backlash due to the nature of their relationship.

Naruko was about to deepen the kiss when she felt Naruto stiffen against her, causing her to pull away to look at him in concern. She also felt the alarm that radiated from him through the bond.

"What is it, Naruto-kun?" she asked urgently, sitting up straight.

"My clone that was keeping an eye of Kin, the Oto genin, just dispelled — she's in trouble." Naruto explained without preamble, turning serious. "Grab on to me and prepare to fight. I'm going to teleport us over there."

Sensing the urgency behind his words, Naruko needed no further prodding as she let Naruto pull her up to stand. Placing a hand in his while flipping out her kunai, she felt the world shift around them before it coalesced into what looked like a hospital room of some kind.

And there on the floor and backing away towards the wall was Tsuchi Kin. Her eyes were wide in sheer terror with bandages wrapped around her head — no doubt the injury she suffered during the preliminaries.

In front of the dark-haired Oto-nin was a dark robed and white-masked figure, raising its kunai up ready to attack the defenseless girl.

Naruto was the first to react. Releasing his gravity seals, he crash tackled into the unknown assailant, sending them both tumbling into the far side of the room. Regaining his bearings, Naruto quickly held down the man's (judging by the baritone grunt he released when Naruto crashed into him) arms as he tried to hold the man at bay when the assailant tried to shake loose from his stranglehold.

Seeing this, Naruko immediately released her own seals and crossed the distance between her and Naruto in an instant. As the assailant grappled with the blonde boy, he didn't notice the girl slap seals on him until it was too late when his entire body froze up, unable to move a muscle — literally.

"Muscle Paralysis Seals," Naruko chirped, "Much more effective than standard Paralysis Seals, designed specifically to paralyze your muscles instead of your entire body."

"_And_, it's easy to carry around." Naruto added succinctly, slamming his elbow into the man's face, knocking him out cold. "Not that you need to know that. Sweet dreams."

"Didn't put up much of a fight, did he?" Naruko remarked as she stowed away her kunai.

"We just surprised him that's all," Naruto replied. He turned to face Kin who was slowly getting up on her feet, albeit shakily. "Are you alright?"

Kin, who up until now was watching the two blondes take down her assailant in complete amazement, suddenly remembered why she was slated to be killed in the first place. Terror seeped through her and she frantically looked around the room.

"Y-You have to h-help me!" Kin cried, panic clear in her voice. "H-He's going to come for me! He wants me dead because I failed to deliver!"

Naruko slowly approached the Oto-nin, raising her hands up in a placating manner.

"Hey, hey — slow down Kin-san." She said soothingly, trying to calm the panicking girl. "Who wants you dead?"

Kin swallowed.

"O-Orochimaru …" she squeaked out fearfully, hugging herself as if to ward off the chill at saying the man's name. "I f-failed the preliminaries, a-and he wants me dead because I have o-outlived my u-usefulness."

Naruko's eyebrows shot into her hairline in surprise. Sharing a knowing glance with her boyfriend, she was about to reply when the familiar forms of two ANBU Black Ops members appeared in the room.

"Uzumaki-san, Uzumaki-san," the ANBU wearing an Eagle mask said, "What happened here?"

After Naruko relayed what had happened to them, Naruto turned towards the second ANBU member who was wearing a Boar mask. He gestured towards the knocked out assassin.

"Take this man to Morino-san — I'm sure he would appreciate a new playmate." He ordered causing the Boar masked ANBU to release a silent chuckle, disappearing with the man in tow. Ibiki _loved_ new playmates. "Also, I'd suggest bringing this girl to Hokage-sama for she has valuable Intel that is critical to Konoha's survival."

The remaining Eagle masked ANBU nodded. Kin glanced fearfully at the robed ANBU members, quietly contemplating her choices. Seeing the girl's distress, Naruko walked up to her before putting a hand on Kin's shoulder, causing said girl to look at the blonde girl in shock. Naruko gave her an encouraging smile.

"Don't worry — no harm will come to you when you're in Konoha," she declared, "Onii-chan and I will be there to offer our own reports on the matter, so don't worry so much."

After a moment of silent thought, Kin finally nodded her assent with a small smile. Flashing one last grateful smile at the Uzumaki siblings, Kin placed her hands on the Eagle-masked ANBU's outstretched one before disappearing.

Naruko sighed, looking at her brother with a wan smile.

"What an exciting way to end the night, right Onii-chan?" she asked sarcastically.

Naruto shrugged, making his way over to her. "Maybe, but I could use a little _less_ excitement in the future."

Naruko giggled.

"Well, let's go see what the fuss was all about," she said cheerfully, extending a hand for Naruto to take. "You ready?"

Her boyfriend laughed, taking her hand before kissing it softly. Naruko blushed — he could still make her heart flutter even with the most simplest of gestures. Even after two months, Naruto still has that effect on her, she surmised.

And with that, the two blondes disappeared from the hospital room in flash.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

**Done!**

**A continuation chapter from the last one! Greetings once more to my favorite people in the world! My muse is on fire people! Second chapter up in five days! How fast is that!? **

**Things are finally starting to heat up in preparation for the Suna-Oto Invasion! Chapter 19 is already in the works and will soon be posted by next week (hopefully). The first of the big major deviations from canon just happened: I let Kin live!**

**Why? Because I feel like it! **

**Nah, I'm just messing with you. Kin's character is so wholly underdeveloped in my opinion, and along with the number of Naruto stories that featured Kin alive was so few, I've decided to let her live in this fic. Expect major changes because of Kin's survival in the near future, and I hope you like what I have planned! As a side note, I hate Black Zetsu. XD LOL!**

**Also, thank you guys SO SO MUCH for your reviews and your support! It's broken past the 900 review mark! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Thank you Mr./Mrs/Ms./Mdm 900th reviewer: **Aimlessamo**! YOU. ARE. AWESOME!**

**Okay, that's all from me right now. Enjoy the latest instalment of Destiny Rebirth! Check out my profile for the forum link, hope to see you all soon!**

**This is HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE! **


	19. The Gathering Storm!

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Nineteen: The Gathering Storm…! Of Godfathers and Perverts!**

* * *

Tsuchi Kin fidgeted nervously as she stood in front of the Sandaime Hokage's desk. Said Hokage was silently gazing at her through the rim of his Hokage hat, puffing absently at his stovepipe as he did. After the Eagle masked ANBU had dropped her off in the Hokage's office, the aged man behind the desk had then calmly dismissed the ANBU after being briefed on the situation, leaving just him and her in the vast office.

That was then she noticed that all of her equipment and personal belongings were on the desk, including her Otogakure headband. The mere sight of the music note symbol of that … _man's_ … village sickened her, having been forced to serve his village after practically enslaving her older sister figure. She was still a bit shaken by her encounter with the assassin earlier in her hospital room, but that just confirmed her worst fears — Orochimaru wanted her _dead_.

Kin sighed in resignation. She knew it was coming sooner or later, but she held onto the hope that she would face it on her own terms. Apparently, her lackluster performance during the preliminaries was what finally triggered the Snake Sannin's response. When the assassin had appeared in her hospital room, she knew that she was going to die.

She was broken out of her thoughts when she heard the Sandaime sigh, causing her to timidly look up at the powerful man.

"Well, Tsuchi Kin of Otogakure," he began, a grandfatherly tone in his voice. "It must've been quite the scare for you earlier — are you alright?"

Kin, surprised by the man's concern, nodded shyly. "Yes, sir."

Hiruzen smiled at her. "Don't worry. Rest assured that we will tighten our security around the village to make sure something like this _never_ happens again." He reassured. His smile faded as he turned serious. "I understand that you have something important to tell me?"

Kin nodded. "Yes sir," she replied, "With all due respect sir, I would feel better if the Uzumaki siblings were here when I give you my answer."

Hiruzen was about to speak, before closing his mouth with an audible click when he caught sight of something behind Kin. Curiosity getting the better of her especially when she saw the old man smile, Kin turned to see the aforementioned siblings standing there. She almost jumped in surprise at seeing them — she hadn't even heard them entering the office!

"Well, this turned out to be an eventful night, don't you agree?" the Sandaime asked with a chuckle.

Naruto sighed dramatically. "Like I told Naruko-chan before, I could use a little _less_ excitement in the future." He said, earning a playful slap on his arm from Naruko in return. "Even so, I'm glad we were able to get to Kin-san in time."

"Same here," Naruko admitted, moving over to stand beside the dark-haired Oto girl. "How are you feeling, Kin-san?"

Kin smiled.

"A bit better now that you two are here," she replied, "Thank you for saving me."

"No problem," said Naruto who waved off her gratitude. "We were just in the right place at the right time when it happened. Good thing too."

If Kin was intrigued by the significant glance Naruko had given Naruto, she didn't show it as the sound of a throat clearing softly caught their attention.

"I'm sure it was," Hiruzen cut in, reminding the three teens that he was still in the office. "Now, onto business — what exactly happened tonight?"

With that, the Uzumaki siblings launched into a detailed explanation on what exactly transpired in Kin's hospital room, with Kin interjecting once in a while to add a few details from her point of view. Once they were done, Hiruzen gave the two Uzumakis a beaming smile.

"Well done, the both of you!" he praised, earning smiles from his surrogate grandchildren. "Not only did you prevent the assassination of one of our guests, but you also managed to capture the assailant — unharmed — as well. If I were to classify this as a mission, it would easily be a high B-rank mission!"

He turned his attention towards the Oto kunoichi, who was smiling at the glomp the Uzumaki girl was giving her brother. Hiruzen sighed, hoping the girl could confirm his suspicions about Orochimaru's motives during the Chūnin Exams. Foreknowledge from Naruto or not, he needed proof that his once prized student, the boy he had once loved like his own son, could fall so far.

"Now, as for you Kin-san," he began sternly, but not unkindly. "Until the T &amp; I Division can give me a more detailed report on the assassin's motives, I would like to hear it from you if you know about the possible reasons why he was sent to kill you?"

There was a small pause as Kin thought over the man's words.

On one hand she could just deny any knowledge of knowing about why she was slated to be killed, but that left her with little to no protection whatsoever in the long run. On the other hand … she didn't even have to think twice about it. Anything was better than serving _him._ Telling his greatest enemy his upcoming plans for Konoha seemed like an added bonus for her defection.

She told them _everything_.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

"Well," Hiruzen sighed, puffing on his pipe as he did. "I guess you were right after all Naruto-kun."

Said boy only raised an eyebrow. "Why would I lie to you about something this big?"

"It's not that I don't trust you, believe me I do, but …" Hiruzen replied haltingly, "Part of me didn't want to believe it, even when the evidence was staring at my face this whole time."

Naruto nodded sympathetically. "Yeah … I know how you feel."

He smiled when he felt a comforting squeeze of his hand, courtesy of Naruko who gazed at him in concern prompting him to squeeze back. He smile she gave him made the effort worth it.

It took Kin around half an hour to explain Orochimaru's plans for both Konoha and Suna, from weakening Suna to outright obliterating Konoha if he had the opportunity. Every word she spoke were like small invisible daggers that pierced the Sandaime's heart — hearing it from Naruto about his former student's fall to madness was hard enough, but to actually hear proof of the boy's words from Kin was even more so.

Once she was done, Hiruzen then asked about why she was an Oto kunoichi in the first place when she hated to serve Orochimaru, judging by her more than willing confession. Her answer surprised everyone, the resident time-and-dimension-traveler included.

"I serve him because I want to save my big sister," Kin had admitted. "Ever since that man gave her the Cursed Seal, she was never the same again — I want to free her from its influence."

"Who?" it was Naruko who had asked, putting a hand on the dark haired girl's shoulder.

There was a small pause.

"Her name is Tayuya."

Naruto had raised a surprised eyebrow at that. "One of the Sound Four?" he asked, "The redhead who is Orochimaru's bodyguard?"

Kin nodded her surprise evident on her face. "Yes, how do you know that?" she had asked, "The Sound Four were one of our villages' most highly guarded secrets — no one outside the village knew the identity of each member of the unit, not even us! I only found out by snooping around, discretely of course."

All she got from the Uzumaki male was a smirk. "I have my sources," was all he had said.

Fortunately, Kin didn't question any further, knowing she wouldn't get a straight answer out of the boy anyway. After a few more questions, Hiruzen had several of his personal ANBU escort her to one of the guest rooms in the Hokage Mansion and placed her under heavy guard. Kin was reluctant at first, still fearing for her life, but after reassurances from both Naruto and Naruko, she finally relented.

That was how the current occupants of the office found themselves in after Kin left. Hiruzen was distracting himself by puffing on his pipe, while Naruto and Naruko were content with just sitting in the chairs provided. They were silent for several minutes before Hiruzen spoke up.

"I need to bring this to the council's attention," he announced, standing up before turning towards the window behind him to gaze at the village below. "They need to be warned, especially the shinobi council."

Naruto only nodded, not seeing a better option than that. "How do you explain how you got this information though?" he asked, "With Danzō still among the elders, he'll most likely 'insist' on interning Kin on some trumped up excuse regarding village security."

"Yes, that does pose a problem," Hiruzen replied, rubbing his beard as he did. "With her obvious animosity towards her home village, it wouldn't be surprising if she defected when given the chance. At that point, she would be a political prisoner instead of just a militarily one."

"True," Naruto allowed, sighing in annoyance. "That Danzō is _really_ getting on my nerves!"

Hiruzen was about to nod when he suddenly jolted as if struck with an idea. This didn't go unnoticed by the two blondes, with Naruto raising a questioning eye brow and Naruko looking at him with curiosity.

"Unless …" he began, before shaking his head. "No, no — you've already told me you didn't want to do it anyway …"

Naruko frowned. "What is it, Jiji?" she asked with concern in her tone.

Hiruzen sighed as he emptied his pipe in a nearby ashtray on his desk, taking a few moments to gather his thoughts. "I can only think of one way for Kin to be perfectly immune from Danzō's clutches even if she was a political prisoner, and that is putting her under the protection of a major shinobi clan of Konoha." He said, "Any clan will do, as long as it's ratified by me and two of the three elders."

A look of realization came over Naruto's face, finally knowing why the Sandaime was so hesitant in presenting his idea. "You wanted her to be put under the protection of the Uzumaki Clan …"

Hiruzen nodded wearily, "Yes," he admitted, "That is why I was so hesitant in bringing it up to the both of you — you've already told me you didn't want to revive the Uzumaki Clan, that you were content with your current arrangement."

"I see …" Naruto said softly, mulling the thought over in his head. Turning to his side, he caught Naruko's brilliant violet orbs with his own cerulean ones. She was just as deep in thought as he himself was at the moment.

The two of them had spoken at length about the Uzumaki Clan after reading through the Uzumaki Clan Journal, left behind as an heirloom by their late mother. They had no plans of reviving the near-extinct clan as they were quite content with their current way of life and had no need for the privileges that normally came with being a member of a major clan.

The fact that they didn't have to attend longwinded council meetings was another strong incentive of not reestablishing the clan.

Now, however, they were faced with the dilemma. Without the backing of a clan, Kin would be vulnerable to the machinations of Danzō's lapdogs (the ROOT Foundation comes to mind) and would most certainly be tortured for information, if not made to spy on her former village. The lengths which the Shinobi no Yami would go in the name of Konoha were both admirable and atrocious at the same instance.

That was why Naruto turned to his girlfriend for counsel, knowing that this was a decision that should be decided together.

_– __So, what do you think? –_ he sent mentally. _– This should be a joint decision, love. –_

_– __I know, I know … – _Naruko replied, chewing thoughtfully on her lower lip. If they weren't in front of the Sandaime at the moment, Naruto would have seized the opportunity to kiss her right there and then. _– On one hand, I don't care whether or not the Uzumaki Clan is revived; on the other hand, I want to help Kin __— __she just wanted her sister back. –_

_– __Yeah, – _Naruto mentally sighed. _– Hard to believe that psycho redhead was actually Kin's surrogate sister __— __now I feel guilty letting Temari kill her. –_

_– __Temari killed her? – _Naruko asked in surprise and a bit of shock. As far as first impressions went, the Suna kunoichi looked like a formidable opponent but she did poorly during the preliminaries which didn't help her reputation.

But, then again, she was up against _Naruto_ which probably was badly one-sided since the beginning — definitely _not_ a good judge of the older girl's skills.

Naruto mentally nodded.

_– __Yeah, heard it from Shikamaru after they've finished bandaging me up after Sasuke shoved a Chidori into my chest, –_ he said. _– Not the most pleasant of experiences, let me tell you. –_

Naruko shuddered, both physically and mentally which elicited a look of concern from the Sandaime.

_– __Only you, Onii-chan, –_ she said exasperatedly. _– Only you could say something like that as if it were a regular occurrence. –_

_– __You'll get used to it, –_ Naruto replied with a mental grin. _– I pride myself in doing the unexpected and in the most unpredictable of ways. That's part of my charm, 'ttebayo! –_

At first Naruko sighed out loud in annoyance, much to Hiruzen's surprise and Naruto's amusement. But the constant giggles that threatened to escape her mouth ruined the intended effect quite effectively.

Hiruzen raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the byplay that had obviously occurred without him knowing. "Excuse me you two, but I seem to have missed an important conversation without me knowing about it," he said, "So, if you would be so kind as to enlighten an old man."

Naruto and Naruko had the decency to look sheepish before launching into a quick explanation of their unique bond with one another as shared-Jinchuriki of the Kyūbi no Kitsune. Once they were done, Hiruzen had an astounded look on his wizened features that made him look ten yours younger.

"Remarkable …" he breathed, finally letting his mind comprehend the information he had just been given. "You two are already quite formidable in your own right, but _together_," Hiruzen shook his head in amazement. "You would nigh _unstoppable_."

"That's what _I_ said when I suggested we work on tag team exercises!" Naruto said with a boisterous grin, "We could probably give Kumogakure's A-B Combo a run for their money as the strongest tag team — maybe even surpass them!"

Hiruzen laughed heartily at that while Naruko blushed and grinned at the thought.

As the top kunoichi of her year group, she had read up extensively on the history and culture of other villages and their renowned shinobi. She knew the current Raikage of Kumo and his adoptive brother were feared throughout the Elemental Continent because of their devastating combo attacks that few could ever hope to match up to — for Naruto to state that they could quite possibly surpass the prowess of the greatest tag team in history filled her heart with warmth and determination to prove him right.

"Well, I hope to live long enough to see that day," Hiruzen said. At the look in his surrogate grandchildren's eyes, he continued. "But that doesn't mean I will just let Orochimaru walk all over me and let him kill me — I may be old but I still got a few tricks up my sleeve."

"As expected of 'the Professor'," Naruto said, a warm smile curving on his lips as a look of determination burned in his cerulean orbs. "I will not lose you again old man, and that's a promise because I don't go back on my word—!"

"—because that is _our _nindō! _Our_ ninja way!" Naruko finished, earning a brief look of surprise from her beloved before a toothy grin replaced it.

"Yeah …" Naruto said softly, looking into Naruko's eyes. "What she said."

Just as they were about to get lost in each other's eyes, the sound of a throat clearing snapped them back to reality, prompting them to look back at the Hokage who had a knowing smirk on his face. They blushed, already imagining what it had looked like to the old man from his point of view.

Hiruzen shook his head with a fond smile. "My lips are sealed," he said, surprising the two blondes. "Who you choose to love and spend the rest of your life with is your choice and yours alone. I won't try to interfere just because you two love one another more than what a brother and sister actually should."

Seeing their stunned looks, Hiruzen chuckled. "Don't look so surprised you two. I didn't live this long on this world to not learn a thing or two — give this old man some credit will you?" he said with a laugh.

"Hokage-Jiji …" whispered Naruko as her eyes misted over. She could feel that Naruto was shocked as well, "Does that mean …?"

"That you have my approval?" Hiruzen finished for her with a smile. "Yes."

Naruko's squeal of absolute delight was all the warning the Hokage had before she bounded _over_ his desk to reach him, wrapping her arms around his midsection as she did. The old man could faintly hear her muffled 'thank you's as she slowly cried into his shirt. He slowly hugged her back, rubbing her back in soothing motions as he chuckled.

Naruko pulled away to look up at Hiruzen with a bright smile, before she quickly detached herself from the hug to run towards Naruto who barely managed to stop the two of them from falling over after the blonde beauty quite literally crashed into his embrace.

Momentarily forgetting they were in the Hokage's Office, Naruko pulled away slightly before leaning upwards to capture Naruto's lips with her own.

Hiruzen's eyes widened in surprise as a small flush came onto his face, resisting the urge to let out a few perverted giggles as he witnessed the scene. The nature of the two blondes' relationship alone resembled one of Jiraiya's more risqué volumes of his famous line of adult literature, which didn't help the old man's predicament in the slightest.

Fortunately for the Sandaime's sanity, the rational part of the blonde girl's brain finally caught up to her, causing to immediately pull away with a small squeak of embarrassment as she tried to hide her face in Naruto's chest. Said boy still wore a slightly dazed expression from the kiss before he shook it off, a small flush appearing on his cheeks as he chuckled nervously.

"Uh …" he began eloquently, "Surprise?"

Hiruzen, despite his earlier thoughts, hid his embarrassment with a small cough. "Although I'm glad that my hunch I made when I first met you was indeed correct," he said. Naruto flushed even more at this, remembering the old Kage's words. The laughing Bijū in his stomach didn't help matters either. "What I didn't expect was for Naruko-chan to outright reveal her relationship with you in such an… _elaborate_ way."

Faintly noticing his girlfriend flushing a little redder at Hiruzen's words, Naruto however just gave the man a blank look. "It was in one of Jiraiya-sensei's smut books, wasn't it?" he asked plainly, "Third Series, Volume 4 — '_Paradise's Ultimate Collection'_?"

Hiruzen's eyes widened comically at this, clearly shocked. "Ho-How did you know that?" he asked, "It was a limited edition copy — no one was supposed to know it even exists!"

Naruto sighed, looking as if he was remembering something truly horrible.

"It was one of the first books he forced me to read — _'__You need to know how the story flows'_, he said; _'You need it to proofread my newest masterpieces'_, he said." he recounted, making air quotes with each reason Jiraiya had given. He shook his head. "Bloody well nearly made my eyes bleed when I read the first paragraph!"

Naruko, having recovered slightly from her earlier embarrassment, looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Was it really that bad?" she asked.

"Oh, it was." Naruto confirmed, suddenly expressionless. "Imagine Lee and Gai-sensei's sunset genjutsu, but in condensed form and a hundred times worse because you couldn't look away even if you wanted to — it was a nightmare."

Naruko felt a wave of cold dread wash over her when she heard that, suddenly afraid of what was in the context of that particular smut novel her boyfriend had 'proofread'. Hiruzen however had a different opinion on the matter.

"Mah, mah … it wasn't _that_ bad," the old man admonished lightly, "You just don't appreciate such an exquisite piece of adult literature."

"I'll be the judge of that," Naruto replied with a twitching eyebrow, "If Ero-sennin tries anything funny with Naruko-chan, broken bones and ruptured organs are going to be the _least _of his worries."

Hiruzen paled.

"By Kami, you sound like Tsunade …" he breathed out in slight horror.

"Well, I was a complete idiot back then," Naruto replied with a sly grin. "I have a girlfriend this time, so he better think twice before trying something funny."

As Hiruzen chuckled at Naruto's declaration, Naruko was blushing redder at every word he said.

She had known for a while that Jiraiya of the Sannin was an insatiable pervert, even though he was the strongest of the Legendary Sannin. She had been shocked when Naruto had revealed to her that the man was her godfather, having named her during Kushina's sixth month in pregnancy. When asked why hadn't Jiraiya checked on her all these years, Naruto told her it wasn't his place to answer in the man's stead — she would have to get her answer from the man himself.

Speaking of the devil …

"Ero-sennin?" she asked, trying and failing not to laugh at how _appropriate_ the label suited the Toad Sannin.

"Yeah," Naruto chuckled, shaking his head fondly. "That's my nickname for him when he introduced himself as the 'Great Toad Sage' and when I caught him peeking on a woman's bath house — Ero-sennin seemed fitting at the time, and the name stuck."

The boy's honest answer prompted Naruko to laugh even harder, with the Sandaime joining in with his light chuckles.

"Now, back to what we were discussing before we got sidetracked," Hiruzen said after sobering. "What's your decision on this?"

Naruto and Naruko shared a brief look, before they nodded to each other with small smiles. Turning their attention back towards their surrogate grandfather, they gave their answer.

"We accept."

Hiruzen's smile widened at this. "Splendid! I'll get the necessary paperwork ready before the emergency council meeting scheduled for three days from now. That should give enough time for all of the shinobi clan heads to return from their respective duties." He said happily, "Also, I should tell you this beforehand — the other two elders except Danzō know about your parentage Naruto-kun."

Naruto widened his eyes, before he breathed out a sigh. He sent a knowing look at the old village leader.

"You told them, didn't you?" he asked. It was a statement, not a question.

Hiruzen only nodded, not surprised that Naruto had figured it out.

The boy's mental maturity reminded him of Itachi at times, but without the cold, and somewhat fatalistic outlook the Uchiha prodigy had on the shinobi world. In fact the blonde was the complete opposite — he was warm, compassionate and understood the pain in others better than anyone, for he had suffered worse and came out on top. There was a sort of quiet strength in the boy time-and-dimension-traveler that no normal boy – or man – possessed, and Hiruzen could see the same strength manifesting itself in Naruko's eyes as well, no doubt from Naruto's influence.

He mentally shook his head at this, eager for the day when Naruko reached her full potential. If the girl was anything like her brother, Hiruzen could rest easier knowing the future of Konoha was in capable hands.

"It was in our best interest that we have my former teammate's support," the Sandaime explained, "Even _Danzō_ doesn't know that Naruko-chan here is Minato-kun's daughter, less so that you are his son as well. Information on Naruko-chan's parentage was labelled as an SS-rank village secret, punishable by execution without trial. So yes, not even my old war hawk of a teammate knows who her parents are."

Naruko paled slightly at the severe penalty on the information of her paternity, but she understood the necessity of it. The ninja world was a perilous place, and it wouldn't do for the leader of one of the major shinobi villages to be careless with information as sensitive as who her father was.

Naruto on the other hand just nodded in approval, hugging Naruko closer to his chest when he sensed her sudden spike of unease which faded away at his hug. Sending a grateful look and a nod at him, Naruko turned her attention back towards the discussion.

"Makes sense," Naruto said with a nod. "Does that mean they will support our claim to reestablish the Uzumaki Clan?"

"Yes," Hiruzen assured, "They have given their unanimous support."

"Good," the blonde boy breathed out a sigh of relief. "That's one less headache to deal with in the future."

Naruko looked at the wall mounted clock at the side of the office, noticing for the first time just how late it had gotten since they entered the office. Nudging her brother who nodded in understanding, she spoke.

"It's getting late Jiji," Naruko said, yawning slightly. "If there is nothing else, can we go now?"

Hiruzen was about nod, before suddenly perking up as though he had remembered something. Naruko, who noticed this, was about to ask but the Sandaime answered her unspoken question.

"I just remembered," he began, puffing on his pipe. "Before you go, I thought you should know that Jiraiya is scheduled to arrive back in the village by tomorrow noon. I sent for him just after Orochimaru was spotted in the Forest of Death."

Naruto grinned at that, inwardly overjoyed at the prospect of seeing his favorite teacher alive once more. Sensing the bubbling happiness within him, Naruko hugged one of his arms to her and smiled up at him, clearly happy for him.

"Thank you, Jiji," Naruto said, nodding in gratitude. "We'll be sure to greet him properly by the time he arrives, by properly I mean by ruining his precious 'research' time."

Naruko merely giggled at the paling face of Sarutobi Hiruzen, no doubt the older man was thinking about the inevitable 'delays' in the next issue of Icha Icha. After bidding goodbye to the Hokage, Naruto and Naruko left via the former's shushin, disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

Naruto grunted as he blocked a punch from his girlfriend, with said girl immediately following up with a roundhouse kick which he ducked under. Lashing out with a kick at her knees, Naruko managed to twist around his attack before sending a jab at his exposed face. Seeing no other way to block it, he leaped backwards and away from Naruko, her fist sailing mere inches from his nose as he did.

Naruto smiled, settling back into a more defensive taijutsu stance as Naruko took a breather to contemplate her next move. Though she didn't know it, but Naruto was very proud of her at the moment. The girl had come a long way since the day they had started their training sessions, and the results were showing right before his very eyes.

They had woken up just before dawn the next day, deciding to get as much training as they could get during the one month interval between the second and third part of the Chūnin Exams. They had agreed to do it at the place that held a special place in both their hearts — the spot where they had first met.

Naruto fondly remembered their very first taijutsu spar, in which Naruko was soundly defeated in less than a minute much to her chagrin. The pout she had on for the rest of the day was greatly amusing to the blonde boy who just chuckled when Naruko pouted harder when she caught him laughing.

That was two and a half months ago.

Naruto braced himself as Naruko rushed at him, forcing him to fend off her rapid attacks. Since this was a taijutsu-only spar, he was pulling out all the stops just to keep up with the girl.

Her own unique style, the Fūmuchi no Mai, was an extremely versatile and deadly style that only taijutsu masters such as Maito Gai and Rock Lee could ever hope to counter. The speed, precision, fluidity, and unpredictability of her attacks were astounding to watch — less so when he was on the receiving end of it, but he could honestly say that if there was a word he would use to describe her movements whilst in her taijutsu stance, it would be '_beautiful'_.

His instincts suddenly screamed at him, causing him to duck under a punch that definitely would've staggered him enough to lose focus. Just as he was about to retaliate, Naruko's knee was suddenly coming towards his face.

Naruto swiftly back flipped away to avoid her attack, but Naruko wasn't done yet. Since her gravity seals were released, she rushed towards him, clearing the distance between in a few moments. Just as he was about to bring up his arms to block, Naruko smoothly ducked under his guard before letting it loose with a rapid series of jabs that struck his chest. Naruto recovered quickly though, managing to block several of her jabs before Naruko did something completely unexpected that not even _he_ could predict.

Getting up close and personal, Naruko sent an apologetic nudge through their bond before stepping on Naruto's outstretched leg, using it as a stepping stone to straddle onto the boy's shoulders. Locking her legs around his neck, she twisted her body with enough force to flip the both of them head over heels backwards before slamming Naruto face first into the dirt.

Rolling them onto their backs, Naruko proceeded to choke the life out of Naruto with her thighs. He struggled only for a few seconds before he slapped repeatedly on her leg, signaling that he surrendered while also mentally shouting through the bond, _'I give! I give!'_

_'__Okay!_' she cheerfully sent back.

Smiling to herself, Naruko released him from her chokehold. She couldn't believe it — she actually won against her boyfriend, albeit only in taijutsu but it was still a win in her books. After so long of constantly losing to him in their spars, winning against him was a feeling she couldn't even begin to describe. But, she did know one thing — she was getting stronger, and was one step closer towards her dream.

Naruto coughed, rubbing his sore neck as he gave Naruko a gimlet eye. "Well, _that_ was unexpected." He commented, "I would have to be careful of not overextend my stance when sparring with you in the future. Those thighs of yours are _deadly._"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Naruko waved him off playfully, still giddy about her win. "It was so damn hard to even get a crack in your defense. I got lucky when I got into your guard after you were recovering from that backflip. That was what sealed the match."

Naruto chuckled.

"Don't sell yourself short Naruko-chan," he replied. "Admit it, you wouldn't even be able to exploit that opening a month ago — it shows that you've improved, love. I was going all out just to keep up with your attacks."

Naruko was gobsmacked. He had been going all out all this time? She didn't even realize it until Naruto told her. Had she improved _that_ much in such a short amount of time to put her on equal footing with the strongest shinobi she knew? It all seemed so surreal to her.

"Really?" she asked shyly.

"Of course!" Naruto replied, earning a smile from her in return. "From this day forward, I have nothing left to teach you in taijutsu — you've surpassed me in that regard Naruko-chan. I'd suggest asking Gai-sensei if you still want to improve, but I think you could wipe the floor with pretty much anyone at the moment in a taijutsu-only fight."

Naruto had barely finished his sentence before he was greeted by a face full of golden hair that belonged to his sister when she hugged him, prompting him to wrap his arms around her as well. He could feel her trembling in his hold, causing him to hold her closer to him in reassurance.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun," she said, hugging him tighter. "You don't know how much hearing you say that means to me."

"And I'll keep saying it, even after you're strong enough to stand by me," Naruto replied, "Never doubt yourself, my love. You are far stronger than you know; the strongest person I have the pleasure of ever knowing, both in mind and body."

Naruko laughed, wiping away her tears as she looked up into his cerulean pools that she knew were filled with love and fondness for her in their depths. She knew that her own eyes were reflecting the same kind of emotions she had for him as well.

"I beg to differ on that," she countered. "I know someone much stronger than I am in both regards, someone who I hold very close to my heart."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, a look of confusion crossing his features. "Who?" he couldn't help but ask, curious as to whom she was referring to.

Naruko laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. When Naruto had said he would come across as a bit dense at times, he wasn't joking. This was definitely one of those times.

"I'm talking about _you_ silly!" she said, frowning at the look of surprise on Naruto's face. His low self-worth was one of the main reasons of him adopting his falsely cheerful persona when he was younger. "You're stronger than anyone I have met, Onii-chan. The fact that you turned out so well after what you've been through your whole life further proves that you are strong not just in mind and body, but also in _soul_."

Pulling back, she laid a dainty hand on his chest, savoring the warmth the spread from his chest to her palm and up her spine. "You are that, and so much more than you know Onii-chan." She said with heartfelt conviction. "So don't you _ever_ doubt your own strength again, Naruto-kun."

"Hai," Naruto relented with a small smile. He was amazed at the sheer level of confidence Naruko had in his own abilities, but that just made her more adoring in his eyes. It wouldn't do for him to betray that confidence. "I'll do my best, 'ttebayo!"

"That's the spirit, 'ttebane!" Naruko said with a beaming smile. Another thing he had noticed was Naruko's lack of overreaction to her verbal tics — it seems that his own use of his verbal tics was starting to rub off on her.

"On that note though," Naruto suddenly spoke, dropping into his preferred offence stance. "Don't think that you've already surpassed me in taijutsu that you could slack off — I still haven't included ninjutsu yet."

Naruko smirked, slipping into the opening stance of Fūmuchi no Mai. "I wouldn't dream of it, Naruto-kun! I _will_ become strong to protect you and the people I care about!" she declared, earning a proud smile from her boyfriend in return. "That's a promise."

"If you want to keep that promise," Naruto replied, suddenly charging forward in a well-executed chakra dash. "Then defend yourself!"

In the end, the spar lasted until late in the afternoon before Naruto called a stop when Naruko was close to collapsing from chakra exhaustion. He was immensely proud — the girl had held her own for two straight hours against his attacks which ranged from low level E-rank jutsus to more powerful B-rank and A-rank techniques that he knew, namely the **Rasengan** and **Kage** **Bunshin** taijutsu combos.

Although he knew a lot of elemental ninjutsu due to his constant pillaging of Konoha's library, he rarely used them unless the situation called for it. His main techniques that he would utilize most often were mostly techniques that don't require hand seals to perform, as they suited his fighting style that put heavy emphasis on speed and striking power.

While it was reminiscent of his father's fighting style, Naruto knew he also possessed the immense chakra reserves that his father did not as a Jinchuriki, allowing him to perform far more chakra intensive jutsus that his father could only dream of doing. Besides, he knew that he also lacked his late father's finesse in a fight — Kami knows just how reckless he could be.

And so, during his spar with Naruko, he only utilized his speed and a handful of jutsus that quickly put the other blonde on the defensive before she exhausted herself at the end, but Naruto was still proud of her. She even managed to reproduce several of the shadow clone combos he had used, along with several creative uses of Henge and Kawarimi that kept him on his toes throughout the spar.

Truth be told, he hadn't had this much fun in a long time.

Currently, they were heading towards Ramen Ichiraku, intent on getting a late lunch in before jumping right back into training. He heard Naruko let out a contented sigh, watching out of the corner of his eyes when she stretched her aching muscles, giving him full view of her lithe form.

"Keep stretching like that, you'll be taller than me in no time," he couldn't help but tease, earning a mock-insulted look from his girlfriend that caused him to laugh.

"It's _your_ fault that I'm sore all over," she complained, a grin curving on her lips. "But, then again, I did ask for it when I told you not to hold back."

"No, that's just me taking you seriously," Naruto replied, a bashful look on his face. "If I go all out, you'll know something isn't right. Believe me — you _don't _want me to go all out, because it means that I'm fighting an S-rank or a Kage-level shinobi."

Naruko nodded, knowing full well just how dire the situation had become when Naruto unleashes his full power.

"Let's not think about that," she said, turning to more cheerful topics. The young couple chatted along until they were right outside the ramen stand's flaps. They entered and took their seats, with Ayame coming to greet them and take their orders before disappearing into the back of the restaurant.

As they were happily slurping up their meals, they heard the rustling of the stand flaps, indicating a new customer. Glancing to his side, Naruto was surprised to see a silver haired masked Jōnin eye smiling at him.

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto asked. "What're you doing here?"

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruko said in surprise, whirling to look at her Jōnin-sensei.

Kakashi gave a jaunty wave in response. "Yo," He greeted, "Just thought I'd check in on you two about your training for this month before the third part of the exam."

Naruko rolled her eyes, already knowing what would happen. "Let me guess — you found me a replacement sensei while you focus on Sasuke?" she asked. "It's because of Gaara, isn't it?"

Kakashi nodded.

"Yes, that's the main reason for me training him personally," he admitted. A forlorn look appeared in the man's lone eye. "I know it may look like I'm favoring Sasuke over you and Sakura, but Gaara poses a more dangerous threat and he needs to be prepared. I just … want you two to know about my reasons for training Sasuke before you asked me to train you."

Naruko sighed, placing down her chopsticks as she turned to face Kakashi fully. Through her negative emotions sensing, she could feel the sincerity in the man's words and emotions. He really wanted to train the rest of Team 7, to better prepare them seeing as the whole team managed to enter the finals. But, Naruko knew the man was overruled by the elder council for they wanted the Last Uchiha to boost the prestige of Konoha even further in the finals.

Pompous, self-righteous windbags indeed.

Sensing where her thoughts had travelled, Naruto, who was sitting on the other side of Naruko, put a comforting hand on her shoulder. As Naruko calmed down, Naruto turned his gaze towards Kakashi who was looking at the blonde girl in worry.

"Don't worry about it, Kakashi-sensei — it's fine." He reassured. "And you can tell Naruko's replacement sensei to train Sakura instead — she needs it more than Naruko-chan does."

Kakashi raised a curious eyebrow. "Oh? Who is she going to train with then?" he asked, opening his signature orange book and skimming through it as he did. "Are _you_ going to train her?"

Naruto grinned. "I train her every day, sensei."

"Really?"

"Yeah," the boy nodded. "Ever since coming back from Nami no Kuni, I've been training her nonstop. She actually bested me in taijutsu just this morning!"

"Onii-chan!" Naruko yelled, embarrassed that Naruto had freely divulged the results of their training sessions.

Naruto only grinned at her. "Sorry, must've slipped through my tongue," he replied casually, unapologetic. "Anyway, even though I'm good, I'm not _that_ good just yet. That's why we're going to look for our godfather after lunch to ask him to train us."

"Oh yeah," Naruko exclaimed, hitting her right fist into her left palm. "I totally forgot we needed to find that pervert."

Kakashi adopted a look of surprise, clearly evident even through the man's mask. "Godfather? Who?"

Naruto shrugged. "Jiraiya of the Sannin." He replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Kakashi however was gobsmacked.

"_The_ Jiraiya of the Sannin?! The author of Icha Icha?!" he asked loudly, earning him strange looks from the villagers outside the ramen stall. "He's your godfather?! Though it makes sense seeing as Minato-sensei was also his student …"

"Shhh …!" Naruto and Naruko both simultaneously shushed their Jonin-sensei. "Do you want everyone in a one mile radius knowing about who our Tou-chan was?!" said Naruko who was close to throttling the silver head.

Realizing what he had almost blurted out, Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Eh … sorry."

Naruko huffed while Naruto laughed lightly, earning a light glare from his girlfriend which made him stop. Shaking his head in amusement, he turned back towards Kakashi. "So yeah, we're going to search for Jiraiya to have him train us." He said, "Besides, I'm sure he'll have many questions once he sees me."

"True," Kakashi agreed, knowing Naruto's uncanny resemblance to the Yondaime would definitely be shocking to the older man. "Well, I better get going; I need to inform Ebisu about the change of plans."

"Ebisu-sensei?" Naruko asked, remembering the sunglasses-wearing tokubetsu jōnin from when she met Konohamaru. She also remembered another small detail. "The closet pervert?"

At this, Kakashi gave her an amused look while Naruto started laughing so hard he was doubling over and was having trouble remaining upright on his seat. Naruko joined him a few seconds later with her own laughter bubbling to the surface.

"Hah …!" Naruto laughed, words forming between his laughter which the other occupants of the restaurant could barely make out, such as, "Hah … closet pervert … Harem no Jutsu … die of blood loss … comedy gold …!" and so on.

Once the two blondes had calmed down, Kakashi gave them an amused eye smile. "Well, I guess you two and Ebisu are acquainted?" he asked.

"You could say that," Naruko responded with a smirk. "He's one of the only people in this village that still sees me as the Kyūbi no Kitsune. Someone like that isn't easy to forget."

"I see …" Kakashi sighed, shaking his head at the other man's bigotry. "Well, it's a good thing I didn't pair him up with you then. Who knows what would happen if that _did_ happen."

Naruto grinned viciously at this.

"Well, I can think of a few things," he began, "I got this new idea for a prank that involves itching powder, pink dye, feathers, honey and a rusty spoon …"

Apparently, only Naruko understood what her boyfriend implied as she winced. "That … is both hilarious and disturbing at the same time …"

"I agree," Kakashi supplied with a sweat drop. The man didn't even want to think about what the boy wanted to do with the rusty spoon. "Well, I'll be seeing you two in a month's time — see you!"

With that parting shot, Kakashi stepped out of the stall and into the busy streets before disappearing from sight. Naruto looked at the wall mounted clock in the ramen stand, noting that it was nearly half past three in the afternoon already. He mentally reminded his girlfriend who sent a mental acknowledgement in response as the two Uzumakis slurped up the last of their meal.

As they were about to pay and head out, Teuchi suddenly leaned forward towards them and whispered, "What's this I hear about your father being the Yondaime Hokage?"

Naruto and Naruko's eyes widened in shock, the two of them inwardly cursing Kakashi's hero worship tendencies in regards to Icha Icha's writer.

"Eh … you see … about that …" Naruto stammered, sweating metaphorical bullets as he tried to come up with a suitable answer. Beside him, Naruko was doing no better as she was thinking furiously on an answer as well.

Seeing their distress, Teuchi decided to let them off the hook — for now. "Look you two, I can keep it a secret if you want me to," he said, earning two sighs of relief from his two favorite customers. "It's obvious to me that you're not spreading who your father was, and I can see that — the Yondaime had a lot of enemies after all, and it would be prudent to ensure that you could properly defend yourself before announcing it."

The young couple was surprised at the ramen stand owner's answer. It basically summed up why they weren't disclosing who their father was and the reasons for it as well.

"Yeah, that's about it," Naruko stated, smiling warmly at her extended surrogate family member. "Thank you … for keeping this a secret until we're ready."

"Anything for our resident sunshine!" Teuchi laughed. "Now you better get going! The day isn't getting any younger!"

After bidding goodbye to the man, the two Uzumakis began their search for the elusive Jiraiya of Sannin. And by elusive, they meant heading to the nearest bath house and look for anyone peeping at the women's side of the baths.

It wasn't long before they came across the bath house that Naruto recognized the first time around. It was the exact same hot springs that Ebisu had trained him in water walking with Kurama's chakra sealed away. It was also where Naruto had first met his greatest teacher.

"So, this is it?" Naruko asked, eying the hot springs.

"Yeah, Ebisu-sensei took me here to train on water walking," replied Naruto with a wince. "He had me water walk in one of the bath areas, and every time I lose concentration I'll be drenched in the scalding water. It was not a pleasant experience."

"That bad, huh?"

"Pretty much," Naruto nodded, leading Naruko along the outside perimeter of the hot springs. "Come on, if I remember correctly the old pervert's on the men's side of the baths peeking at the women's side."

Naruko frowned in confusion. "Then why are we out here instead of inside?"

"Simple — no mixed bathing areas." He replied cheekily, eliciting a tomato red blush on Naruko's dainty cheeks. "I thought it wouldn't be appropriate if someone were to see you in the men's area — I'd have to beat guys away my katana if they so much as ogle at you."

"Good idea," Naruko agreed with a grimace, her blush still going strong at Naruto's compliment of her.

Their conversation was then interrupted by a series of giggles coming from the other side of the fences bordering the hot springs. At first, Naruko thought them to be giggles from a woman, but upon closer scrutiny she found they were a bit too high pitched and rather over-exaggerated.

Naruto however just sighed, already recognizing the sound by heart.

"He's here," he announced, knocking on one of the fences. "And I'd bet he's peeping through his favorite hole."

Naruko's right eye twitched violently, her already low opinion of the Sannin dropping even lower. "He has a favorite hole?"

"Yep, has one in every bath house in Konoha," Naruto shrugged. "If they fixed it, he'll just make a new one and peep through that."

Mentally counting down from ten, Naruko took a deep breath before speaking, "So, what do we do?" she asked.

"Simple. Allow me to demonstrate," Naruto grinned, clearing his throat dramatically.

Cupping his hands around his mouth, he took a deep breath before shouting, "OI ERO-JISAN! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PEEPING THROUGH THAT HOLE FOR?!"

He turned back towards Naruko, who was watching him with wide eyes while trying not to laugh, and gave her a wink. Not a moment later, they got a reply to Naruto's yell.

"KEEP IT DOWN, WILL YOU KID?!" the voice yelled. "DO YOU WANT TO GET US KICKED OUT?!"

Naruto had to force himself not to cry when he had heard that voice. Say what you will about the Super Pervert, but Naruto had missed the older man terribly. But that didn't stop him from replying to the man, "WELL FOR YOUR INFORMATION, _YOU'RE_ THE ONE STILL INSIDE!"

There was a yell, followed by several feminine screams of 'pervert' and the sounds of objects being thrown and hitting flesh. The yells of the man didn't cease however as apparently he had slipped on something and cracked the back of his head open on the ground.

And all of this happened in a span of a minute, with Naruto and Naruko snickering all the while.

"Ah, just like old times," Naruto laughed, wiping away tears of mirth as he did. "Man, I sound like Jiji."

Naruko giggled, gazing warmly into his cerulean eyes. "You missed him, didn't you?"

"Every. Single. Day." Was his emotion filled reply.

That was when they heard someone landing softly behind them, and the two blondes didn't have to turn around to know who it was as they had sensed him coming. Naruko did shudder slightly at the sheer amount of power emanating from the man — it was like Orochimaru's, but warmer and kinder.

"Alright you two," the familiar voice of Jiraiya of the Sannin said menacingly. "Mind explaining to me what the heck was that for just now?"

Naruko was the first to turn around; her violet eyes had turned icy cold. She would get an explanation from the man as to why he wasn't around during her childhood and why he hadn't checked up on her if it's the last thing she did. For now though, she felt a sense of satisfaction when she saw Jiraiya's eyes widen in recognition and shock.

But, his reaction to her boyfriend when he turned around was absolutely priceless!

"M-Minato?" the white-haired man breathed in disbelief.

Naruto smiled faintly. "Close, but not quite." He replied vaguely, putting up privacy seals as he did. "But I'm not the one you should be worried about, Jiraiya-sama."

He gestured towards Naruko, who was glaring at Jiraiya so intensely that the man could've sworn he felt an icy hand reach into his heart and _squeezed_. He also noticed something a lot more frightening — it was the same expression Kushina had when she caught him peeking.

_'__Oh Kami-sama, please help me!'_ he thought as he sweated profusely in fear.

Naruko gave him a sweet smile, which scared the man more than getting caught peeking on women by Tsunade could.

"Hello, Jiraiya-kyōfu," she began amiably, but her amethyst eyes told a different story. "I'm so glad we could finally meet. My name is Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruko, daughter of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina and heiress to the Uzumaki Clan."

There was shocked silence for several moments, before Kurama mentally howled in laughter in his hosts' shared mindscape.

**"****I told you she was good mating material, Kit!"** he said to Naruto, laughing louder at the blushes the two blondes were trying to conceal from the scared shitless man across them.

Ignoring the Bijū, Naruko took a step forward, flipped out a kunai in a blink of an eye before pressing it right beneath Jiraiya's family jewels, causing the man to yelp. Even Naruto unconsciously covered his own privates as she did that, silently telling Kurama to remind him _not_ to get on his girlfriend's bad side. Ever.

"I believe," she began, smiling sweetly at Jiraiya all the while. "We have _much_ to discuss, ne?"

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

**And … done!**

**Good day (or night, depending on perspective) to all my favorite people in the world. We are back with another chapter! Woo! **

**First of all, I'm sorry this chapter took so long. I had a massive case of writer's block, especially at the beginning of the chapter with Kin and the Sandaime. I lost my mojo there for a while when I was writing this, and it wasn't until today did I get it back. So, how do you like how this chapter turned out? I've been waiting to write this scene with Jiraiya for a long time (seeing him threatened by Naruko by the balls was an idea I had floating around my head for months) and I'm very happy that I'm finally here. My passion for writing seemed to have dulled somewhat over the past month of October, but you can blame Rooster Teeth Productions for that ****— ****thanks Monty!**

**Well, that's all from me at the moment. Hope you peeps have a good time and check out my forum while you're at it!**

**This is HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE!**


	20. New Family, New Skills! The Third Exam!

Foreword: I don't own Naruto or any other characters. All of it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Destiny Rebirth – Chapter Twenty: New Family, New Skills! The Third Exam, Begins!**

* * *

_Ignoring the Bijū, Naruko took a step forward, flipped out a kunai in a blink of an eye before pressing it right beneath Jiraiya's family jewels, causing the man to yelp. Even Naruto unconsciously covered his own privates as she did that, silently telling Kurama to remind him not to get on his girlfriend's bad side. Ever._

_"__I believe," she began, smiling sweetly at Jiraiya all the while. "We have __**much**__ to discuss, ne?"_

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

"Er …" Jiraiya began eloquently, inching slowly backwards from the kunai that was still aimed at his family jewels. "Can we talk about this?"

Naruko raised a mocking eyebrow. "We're talking right now, aren't we?"

"Well, yes, but …!"

"Then start talking," Naruko said flippantly, inching her blade closer. "Or your days of getting it on with the ladies will be cut drastically short. We don't want that now do we?"

Off to the side, Naruto was watching the scene play out with a massive sweat drop hanging from his head. He knew that Naruko was playing with the Sannin, but he also knew she was serious in getting the answer she wanted from the older man. He wondered briefly if she would eventually find a job with Konoha's T &amp; I Department.

_– __I heard that Naruto-kun! –_ said girl mentally sent. Naruto most certainly _did not_ yelp when he heard her voice in his head, not at all. _– I most certainly do not enjoy other people's misery like Ibiki and Orochimaru do. That's too much, even for me. –_

Naruto mentally sighed. _– I swear you're having too much fun with him. – _

_– __Whatever gave you that idea? –_ Naruko asked innocently.

Her answer to that question was for him to give her a deadpan look, causing her to giggle mentally in response. Turning her attention back towards the Toad Sannin, Naruko noticed the man inching away from her blade, understandable seeing as she was holding his baby maker hostage.

"Well, Jiraiya-kyōfu?" she asked, "Anything to say for yourself? About how you abandoned me when I needed you the most and not even bothering to check up on me even _once_ all these years? Unless you have a damned good excuse, you can say goodbye to your womanizing ways."

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Naruto mused as he watched Jiraiya's facial expression. The Jiraiya he knew would take the plunge and go for the lesser of the two hard places, namely about why he wasn't around when Naruko was younger.

Jiraiya gulped.

His original plan of confronting the ones who ratted him out of his precious 'research' spot had quite spectacularly spiraled out of control. He was quite shocked to find the culprits to be none other than his own goddaughter, along with another young man who looked like a complete carbon copy of his late student, the Yondaime Hokage.

All thoughts of acting as he normally would with the two teens were swiftly thrown out the window when Naruko had introduced herself using her full family name — Uzumaki-Namikaze. He had paled considerably at that — that meant she knew who her parents were, and no doubt his role as the girl's godfather.

The older man let out a sigh, closing his eyes as he mentally prepared himself for the worse. He didn't know how, but Naruko had found out he was her godfather and was now demanding answers that Jiraiya didn't know it would be good enough for her. Nevertheless, what he lacked in social tact he made up for in sheer guts and determination.

He just hoped that Naruko understood his reasons.

"Okay …" he began, taking a deep breath before letting it out slowly. He glanced at Naruto who was still watching the unfolding scene silently. "Are you sure you want him listening to this, Naruko?"

"Yes," Naruko replied instantly, slightly surprising the Sannin at the sheer conviction he heard in her tone. "I trust him with my life, certainly more than I trust _you_ at the moment."

Jiraiya sighed at her, admittedly, well-deserved jab of him. For all the white-haired man knew, he could explain and justify his reasons all he wants, but the final decision of whether he was forgiven or not rested entirely in the blonde girl's hands.

He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it a moment later. Now that he was in front of Naruko, no words came to him. No excuses, no reasons — his mind was utterly blank as he tried to come up with _any_ sort of justification for leaving his goddaughter alone for all these years. Managing his spy network and tracking down Orochimaru seemed like paltry excuses that wasn't worth squat, and the man knew it.

He screwed up, he knew that much. He screwed up so badly that he had no doubts that Kushina was waiting for him to join her in the afterlife, murder in her eyes and hair flitting about like an ethereal flame behind her. No amount of apologies would be enough for the suffering he had put Naruko through, considering the girl's condition as the Jinchuriki of the Kyūbi. The sheer guilt that flooded his veins was suffocating.

As his dark eyes met with the blonde girl's violet ones, it was the last straw for the years of pent up emotions within him — he broke down.

None were more shocked than the Uzumaki siblings when Jiraiya, one of the strongest shinobi to ever live, fell to his knees as his shoulder shook from the outpour of emotions that gushed out of him like a tidal wave. Tears unwittingly fell from the man's eyes as he looked back at the stunned visage of Naruko, whose kunai had slackened in her grip.

"I'm sorry …" Jiraiya began hoarsely, "I have no excuse for leaving you alone all those years ago. I'm _so_ sorry that I didn't do a better job as your godfather — Kami knows just how badly I screwed it up."

"Jiraiya …" Naruko whispered. She almost wished she hadn't gained Kurama's negative emotions sensing, as the sheer guilt and sadness that came from the man nearly overwhelmed her senses. Looking back at her boyfriend, she noticed that Naruto was looking at the white-haired man with sad and understanding eyes.

_– __He's a man of many regrets, regardless of his perverted tendencies. – _Naruto said mentally as Naruko looked back at the broken man before them. _– After having known him for so long, I finally understood just what exactly he was burdened with all these years _—_ the mistakes he made along with the regret that it could turn out better, the prophecy from the old geezer toad, Tou-chan's death and now his failure of his prized student's daughter and, indirectly, failing him as well. – _

Naruko felt her eyes water as she listened to Naruto explain just how much the man was suffering for his own mistakes. _– I didn't know …– _

_– __He never told anyone, not even me …– _There was an undertone of deep sadness in Naruto's tone as he spoke. _– I only learned it after Kami-sama told me … damned perverted idiot … –_

"I thought I could justify my absence by saying that I needed to manage my spy network," Jiraiya continued, oblivious to the mental conversation that happened in a millisecond. "But even I know that's a weak excuse. I could've managed it and still take time off to see you here in the village …"

By now, Jiraiya had hung his head in shame as tears continued to fall. The more he looked at Naruko, the guiltier he felt when he initially wanted to justify leaving her to fend for herself all those years ago to maintain his spy network and track down Orochimaru. He felt that by failing Naruko, he had failed Minato as well. Another failure to add to a growing list of failures in his life, and he knew he deserved it.

He didn't sob, but just let the tears fall as he closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you and … be the godfather that Minato would've wanted for me to become." He murmured brokenly. "If you don't believe me, that's fine — I wasn't expecting you to. But, at least believe me when I say that if things were different, I would've chosen you, regardless of my duties to Konoha."

There was a pregnant pause after Jiraiya's heartfelt confession. No longer was Jiraiya of Sannin — the man who could take on armies by himself and make it look easy — kneeling in front of them. In his place was Jiraiya the man — the man who made countless blunders in his life and carried with him the regrets that came with his mistakes and was trying to atone.

Naruto and Naruko both knew the man was sincere — almost nothing can get past their combined negative emotions sensing.

After a few moments of continued silence, Naruko moved.

Hearing the soft crunch of grass, Jiraiya braced himself for the worst as he sensed his goddaughter's approach. He expected a lot of things — a cold brush past his shoulder, a slug to his face, a cold reply — he was ready for anything the girl could throw at him.

Or so he thought.

Imagine the man's shock when he felt small and soft arms wrap around his midsection. Opening his eyes, Jiraiya let out a strangled whimper when he caught sight of the familiar golden hair of his goddaughter, _hugging him_! Gingerly, he wrapped his own arms around her before returning the warm embrace gratefully.

"You don't have to say anything, Jiraiya-kyōfu …" he heard Naruko murmur into his ear. He hugged her tighter in response. "It's alright, I've got you. You may think you have failed me, but you didn't. I became a stronger girl after what I've been through, and no amount of studying could prepare me for finding my own answer to the world as I've had now."

She pulled away slightly, grinning at him with misted eyes. "I now know that even with all the misguided hatred of humans towards things that they couldn't comprehend, that doesn't mean there aren't any good humans out there as well." She chirped as Jiraiya's eyes went wider with each word. "I know not to judge the majority by the actions of a few, and I wouldn't have learned that if I hadn't gone through what I had." Naruko said softly, "Do I wish to be loved and never have gone through that? Yes. But, at the same time, without those experiences I wouldn't be the same girl as I am today."

"Naruko …" Jiraiya breathed, amazed at the level of maturity that was the girl's answer. She really was her father's daughter.

Naruko merely smiled, patting the older man's head as she stepped back. "That being said, I forgive you, _but,_" she said, drawing out the 'but' as she did, "You have to make it up to me by being there for me from now on _and_ keep your perverted tendencies in check when you're around me. I _am_ a girl you know."

Jiraiya breathed out a sigh, shoulders sagging in relief. The terms she had laid out were more than satisfactory to the Sannin, for he thought he deserved far worse. He gave Naruko a sincere smile.

"I can do that," he affirmed, wiping away his tears as he grinned goofily as he reverted back to his old personality. "Kami-sama knows that I deserve much worse than that, and I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you if I must!"

"Good," Naruko replied, grinning impishly as she did. "Because when I find out that you've been peeking on me or anything else perverted, I will not be held responsible for what happens to you if you do."

"Duly noted!" Jiraiya said instantly. He would vehemently deny it until his dying breath, but he did _not_ let out a strangled squeak when Naruko had spoken those words.

Nope, not at all.

"Anyways, now that the mushy stuff is over and done with — I hate mushy stuff …" Jiraiya said, turning his attention towards Naruto who was watching them with interest, ignoring the overly dramatic roll of his goddaughter's eyes as he did. "Care to explain to me why is there a carbon copy of your father standing next to you, Naruko?"

Naruto merely gave a small smile. "You won't believe me — _us_ — even if we told you, Jiraiya-sama."

"Try me," Jiraiya all but demanded.

Naruto nodded, taking a deep breath as he did before letting it out slowly. It was time for the moment of truth, and he sincerely hoped that after convincing Jiraiya, the only other one that would know about his predicament in the near future would be Senju Tsunade. After that the total number of people who knew where he came from would be five — and would stay that way until the end.

"Okay," the boy replied easily, slightly surprising the older man. He had expected the boy to put up more of a fight than this. "But don't say I didn't warn you. If you doubt my words, Sandaime Hokage-sama can verify my claims."

Jiraiya was about to reply, but the blonde boy's next words completely blindsided his expectations.

"My name is Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto," Naruto announced firmly without a hint of deceit in his cerulean eyes. "And before you go off and dismiss my claims out of hand, remember that Hokage-sama can verify my claims. Naruko-chan already knows, and so does Hokage-sama, and I've decided to let you in on my secret as well."

"What in the name of Kami are you talking about?!" Jiraiya yelled out after he had broken himself out of his shocked stupor. "Do you have _any_ idea how ridiculous that sounds?!"

The man had already gone through an emotional rollercoaster beforehand, so the boy's claiming of being Minato's son (which to Jiraiya's knowledge was completely preposterous) was tipping his sanity very close to the edge of oblivion.

Naruto only sighed in response.

"If you would kindly just _shut up_ and let me explain?" he began with deep annoyance in his voice that stopped the Toad Sannin dead in his tracks. After a few deep breaths, Jiraiya nodded at Naruto to continue. "Now that's you're _sufficiently_ calmed down, here's the play. You're going to need Sake, the Memory Viewing Technique and a lot of time or you're never going to believe us otherwise."

"And even then, he might not." Naruko murmured.

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes at the blonde girl, his mind going a mile a minute. What could possibly be in the boy's memories for him to suggest alcohol in the equation? He enjoyed the beverage, but any suggestion of said liquid before a major conversation was a prelude to stressful and sometimes earth-shattering news. It couldn't be that bad, could it?

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

He was wrong — so, _so_ _wrong_ that he couldn't even begin to describe just how wrong he was.

Jiraiya stared blankly at the two blondes in front of him as his mind slowly processed everything he had been told for the past two hours. He didn't even know two hours had passed — it felt like an eternity to him as he stared into the cerulean blues of his _godson_ (he was still trying to wrap his head around _that_ particular fact)

He was glad that Naruto had suggested Sake before they started this conversation. He needed a stiff drink after this.

"So," he began, taking a swig from his fifth bottle of Sake. "You're Minato's son?"

Naruto, who was watching the man with amusement, nodded. "Yes."

"From another dimension?"

"And time."

"Yes, couldn't forget about _that_, could we?" Jiraiya grumbled, throwing his hands up in the air in surrender. "Dimension travelling was bad enough, but _time_ _travel_? It's like something out of a cheap novel that the author just couldn't find a suitable plotline to start from and went ahead with that."

Naruto and Naruko didn't know what to make of the white-haired man's lamentations. Shaking his head, Naruto turned to look at Jiraiya who had finished downing his bottle, carelessly throwing it behind him. There was a brief moment of silence before anyone spoke again.

It was Jiraiya who spoke first, unsurprisingly.

"So, let me see if I got this right," he said, taking a breath as he did. "In your time, the Fourth Shinobi World War was in full swing and the Allied Shinobi Forces were losing — badly."

"All the events that led up towards the war were caused by a deranged psychopathic plant-like being named Black Zetsu that has been manipulating the history of the shinobi world ever since the time of the Rikudō Sennin, all because of this … Infinite Tsukuyomi Plan, which is really a front for the reformation of the Jūbi followed by the '_Usagi_ _no_ _Megami', _this Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. And somehow, after you were killed, Kami-sama herself sent you back to make sure something like this would hopefully be _mitigated_?"

Naruto nodded. "That sounds about right."

"Why only mitigating it though?" Jiraiya asked with a frown, ignoring the fact that he was _actually considering_ that the boy was speaking the truth. "Why can't you just stop this whole damn war from happening from the get-go?"

A determined, but resigned look came across the young boy's face. "Because, not even Kami-sama herself can mess with the intricacies of space-time itself," he said. "The timeline must not deviate too drastically from what Fate has laid out for each of us, or the fabric of reality would begin to tear apart at the seams — that's what Kami told me."

"Oh …" Jiraiya said, slightly disgruntled at the information.

There was a small, comfortable pause after Naruto's explanation. As Jiraiya was trying to collect his thoughts, Naruko took Naruto's hand in hers and squeezed it comfortingly. Seeing the tension slowly leave her boyfriend's shoulders, she was rewarded with a grateful smile from Naruto as he squeezed back in response.

"Okay," said Jiraiya, causing the young couple to look at him. "Even if your story is as farfetched and insane as you made it out to be … I can't deny that you are not lying. I can see it in your eyes that you do believe them — your memories also helped in that regard, but there had been cases where a person's memory has been altered to counter the Yamanaka Clan's signature technique."

He ran a hand over his face, sighing as he felt a migraine coming. Alcohol helped plenty in helping the man accept the near fantastical events that has happened for the past few hours. Glancing behind him at the empty Sake bottles he had emptied, he couldn't help but grimace even through his alcohol addled mind — tomorrow morning was going to suck.

"But, for whatever reason: I believe you." Jiraiya finally surmised, looking back at the two blondes. Naruko was giving him a bright smile while Naruto gave him a nod of gratitude. "You can't just _make up_ something this _insane_ (and I'm using the term loosely here) at a whim and expect people to believe it. There are no holes in your story, or in your memories that suggests that your minds had been tampered with. Your story seems outright impossible, but if one eliminates the impossible …"

Surprisingly, it was Naruko who spoke up.

"Whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." She finished, blushing at the looks she was receiving from the men in her small family. "What? I like reading fictional books occasionally, y'know!"

Naruto laughed while Jiraiya gave an amused snort, causing the girl to pout childishly earning more laughter from her fellow blonde. Naruto blinked as he looked at dusking sky, the clouds glowing in shades of yellow, orange and pink from the setting sun.

"Well, it's getting late," he announced, letting the privacy seal drop with a snap of his fingers. "If you have any more questions, or should you decide to just have a friendly chat, meet us at Training Ground Seven tomorrow at dawn — we'll be there training all day long."

Jiraiya only nodded his assent, finally feeling the effects of downing five bottles of Sake at once in one sitting as he struggled to remain standing. Wobbling a few times, he managed to stand somewhat upright on his own feet while flashing a thumbs up at the blondes.

Naruto nearly laughed, but disguised it as a cough to hide his amusement. Looking at his girlfriend, he could see she was doing no better than he was at the moment judging by her quiet snickers and shaking shoulders. Showing no signs that he had heard their amusement, Jiraiya turned around before smacking face first into the ground with a loud thud.

A moment later, a snore was heard coming from the Toad Sannin.

Unable to hold it any longer, Naruto and Naruko broke down into hysterical laughter as they both held onto one another as they laughed. They couldn't help it; it was just too hilarious not to laugh at the white-haired man's expense. Even as Naruto shushined them away, their laughter could still be heard long after they had left.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

All was peaceful the next morning. The weather was perfect, the breeze was relaxing, the birds were chirping, the villagers were going about their daily business and shinobi were moving to their assigned posts or were going out on missions as they moved swiftly over the rooftops. It was just another normal morning for Konohagakure no Sato.

However, the same couldn't be said in one of the training grounds usually reserved for shinobi-use …

"**Fūton: Kazeryūdan no Jutsu! (Wind Release: Wind Dragon Bullet Jutsu)**" a female voice cried out.

Almost instantly, the winds around Training Ground Seven picked up exponentially, the very air itself coalescing into a semi-transparent dragon made of wind with yellow eyes that roared along with the winds around it. It reared its magnificent head before diving onto its intended target below, whom just so happened to be Uzumaki Naruto who was rapidly flashing through hand seals.

"**Dōton: Dai Doryūheki! (Earth Release: Great Earth-Style Wall)**" he yelled, slamming both hands onto the ground. A moment later, a thirty foot high, twenty foot wide stone wall erupted in front of him just as the Wind Dragon crashed into it. The winds whipped around the blonde time-and-dimension-traveler as the powerful technique slowly but surely grinded its way through his most powerful earth release defensive jutsu before finally losing steam and stopping altogether.

A thoroughly windswept Naruto mirthfully remarked, "I don't know how you do it Naruko-chan, but this technique takes the cake — what the hell have you been reading in your spare time?!"

A melodious laugh in the distance answered him.

"It's an original jutsu of mine," Naruko cheerfully replied, "Do you like it?"

"Like it?" Naruto replied in mock-outrage. "I _love_ it! You have got to teach me how to do that!"

Naruko merely laughed in response.

Deciding to whip out a surprise of his own, Naruto dispelled his stone wall, not waiting for it the completely crumble before charging straight at where his sensing had indicated Naruko's position. Creating a shadow clone as he dashed, the two blondes began flashing through two different sets of hand signs.

Seeing what her boyfriend was about to do judging by the eagerness she sensed from him, Naruko smirked at such a perfect opportunity to show ff her newest addition to her arsenal. Forming a tiger seal, she wondered what Naruto's reaction would be once he sees her newest technique. She was giddy just thinking about it.

Unbeknown to her as well as Naruto's distracted senses, someone was watching their little sparring session from a distance.

Completing their hand signs, Naruto and his clone called out simultaneously.

"**Dōton: Doryūdan! (Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet)**"

"**Katon: Karyūdan! (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet)**"

The clone of Naruto started spewing forth a fountain of mud from his mouth which gradually formed into a massive mud dragon that spat out dozens of blobs of mud at Naruko's general location, and one didn't need to be a genius to know that Naruto was aiming _right at her _despite not seeing her. The original Naruto took a deep breath before a giant, dragon-like flame came out of his mouth before it combined with the airborne mud projectiles, setting them on fire thus making them even more potent and destructive than before.

_'__Holy hell!' _Naruko cursed inwardly, focusing her chakra as she did. _'When he said go all out, he's not kidding! Let's just hope this works or this is going to __**hurt**__!'_

Mentally praying to Kami that her technique will succeed and not end up a burnt crisp (along with a dead-worried Naruto on her case), Naruko proceeded to will her chakra into existence.

Behind her, corporeal chains erupted from her back before stabbing themselves deep into the ground. The feeling was amazing — she could feel them burrowing deeper into the earth before curving back towards the surface, just like she had planned.

Naruto, who was watching from a distance, prayed that Naruko could escape unharmed — he had gone a bit overboard with his latest attack, and was mentally kicking himself for it. He didn't have time to ponder further though when he felt his jaw slowly drop from the sight of dozens of chains coming out of the ground, forming a dome of sorts that started thrumming with power.

Naruto was gobsmacked. He had only seen those chains once before, and that was when he was first fighting for Kurama's chakra in his mindscape. And he only knew one person who could feasibly perform it — their mother, Uzumaki Kushina.

He watched as a shimmering barrier formed around the dome-like chakra chain construct just as his attacks hit home, doing absolutely no damage as the barrier held against the onslaught. Naruto was still standing there, stunned at the display even after Naruko had dispelled her chakra chains and had landed in front of the blonde boy.

He was finally broken out of his self-induced stupor when he felt arms wrap around his neck and a familiar pair of lips pressing softly against his own, prompting him to happily return the kiss. He could feel the amusement and happiness radiating from his girlfriend while they kissed.

Pulling back slightly, Naruko grinned at him. "Do you like my new jutsu, Onii-chan?"

Naruto grinned cheekily at her. "Do you even have to ask?"

"Well, can't blame me for asking," she replied, causing another round of chuckles from their mouths. She then decided to mess with her beloved. "You were standing there with such a stupid look on your face, and for a moment I thought there was a naked woman running around behind me."

She narrowed her eyes at him, enjoying the way his face paled. "Or is there?"

"Eh?!" Naruto yelped, waving his hands frantically in front of him. "No, no, no! That's not it! You've got it all wrong, Naruko-chan! I was just … well … you know … err …"

The sound of laughter interrupted his incoherent babbling, and he looked down to see Naruko clutching her stomach as she laughed her heart out. Realizing that he had just been played, Naruto snorted before joining in on her laughter. After a few minutes of cleansing laughter and sobering up, Naruko grinned at him.

"I found out when I was reading the journal," she explained, answering Naruto's unasked question. "Apparently only Uzumaki women can manifest the **Kongō Fūsa (Adamantine Sealing Chains)**, while Uzumaki men were blessed with absurdly massive chakra reserves. With enough practice, chakra control and plenty of trial-and-error, almost any girl with the Uzumaki bloodline can do it! I thought it would be a nice way to remember Kaa-chan that way …"

Naruto pulled her into his embrace, breathing in her scent as she wrapped her own arms around his waist. "I agree — that's a brilliant way to remember her." He said, "I think Kaa-chan would be glad to know that her technique was kept alive by her precious daughter. I'm proud of you, love."

Naruko only hugged him tighter.

Their moment of peace was interrupted by several loud coughs coming from the side. The young couple turned to see Jiraiya grinning like a maniac at them, pen in hand as he scribbled furiously in his notebook. It was then that they were reminded that they were not alone when they were sparring — both blondes remembered the tingling feeling of their chakra sensory detecting a new presence nearby, but had ignored it due to their intense sparring.

Then, they remembered another thing they had done after that.

"Jiraiya-kyōfu!" it was Naruko who responded with massive blush on her face. Naruto wasn't doing any better as he tried to hide his flustered state with several coughs. "You Kami-forsaken pervert!"

Jiraiya merely cackled at them.

"Oh, this is rich!" he exclaimed, waving his notebook in the air for emphasis. "Not only do one of my deepest fantasies while writing 'Icha Icha' comes true, but it's happening between my godchildren — what more could I ask for?! Hah!"

The man didn't laugh for long though, as he let out a strangled 'oomph' when Naruko buried her fist in his gut. Her face was still tomato red, he noticed as he keeled over and whimpered pitifully on the ground in an exaggerated fetal position. Jiraiya regretted nothing though — he had gotten legitimate proof that the term 'twincest is wincest' was true indeed.

Naruko sighed at the Sannin on the ground. "Could you get up?" she said, "It's getting embarrassing with you on the ground like that. I didn't even use chakra in that punch."

Naruto, who was watching the entire scene while pinching the bridge of his nose, snorted when Jiraiya quickly got up like he _hadn't_ been punched in the gut by the girl. The reason was obvious when he saw Naruko was preparing to drive her foot into the man's crotch.

"Okay, okay — I'm up!" the man laughed, before a serious look crossed his face. "On that note, I'll not ask how you two got together. I'm not nosy enough to pry into your privacy. But all I have to say to Naruto specifically is this — hurt her, you die."

Naruto nodded and smirked, impressed, especially when Jiraiya subtly enhanced his voice with chakra to add more weight to his threat. The blonde gave a two fingered salute at the older man. His gesture was clear to all: _read you loud and clear_.

"Noted," Naruto said with a grin. Naruko could only blush in response, but kept up her annoyed frown at her pervert of a godfather.

"Good," Jiraiya said, putting away his notebook and pen. "I've talked with Sarutobi-sensei late last night — still haven't forgiven you two for leaving me by the way. Anyways, he confirmed everything that you said to me last night and, seeing as I'm beginning to step into the role as your godfather, start training the two of you to better prepare for the upcoming invasion."

He looked around the clearing, taking note of the devastation brought about by their spar. "But I have to say that Naruko's training has been going well, brat."

Naruto grinned at hearing the nickname once more. "I aim to please."

"I'm sure you do," Jiraiya replied with a small smile. There was a look in his eyes that neither Uzumakis could identify. "Sensei tells me that you're quite strong, despite your physical age. I know you're mentally a sixteen-year-old but forgive me for being a bit skeptical when the old man said you're at or approaching Kage-level already."

Naruto shrugged.

"I haven't really thought much about that," he admitted shamelessly, earning an incredulous look from Jiraiya and a giggle from Naruko. "Ever since I came here, I've been doing nothing but training and going on missions, or hanging out with Naruko-chan. I think only Zabuza gave me a real challenge in the past two and a half months. I can honestly say that I could hold my own against a veteran jōnin without breaking a sweat, and _potentially_ take on a Kage-level shinobi if I so wished — possibly win as well, but I can't guarantee that I'll be in one piece as well."

Jiraiya was shocked. Naruto spoke as if holding his own against a veteran jōnin, and possibly winning against a Kage-level shinobi was an everyday thing. He knew the boy was strong, but just how strong was he?

"Just how strong are you?" he found himself asking, earning a chuckle from Naruto.

"That's for me to know," the boy began, "And for you to find out. But, I'll give you a hint — I fought Uchiha Madara in his Edo Tensei form on equal terms during the war."

Naruko laughed at the dumbfounded look on the man's face. Although Naruto had reassured her more times than she could count, Naruko wondered if she could ever become just as strong as her boyfriend. The boy was just so powerful — she had almost been floored when he had used his Rikudō Sennin Mōdo (Six Paths Sage Mode) to make sure his skills with it had not atrophied due to lack of use.

Naruto had said that the only time he would be forced to use this mode was when he was facing Madara or Kaguya during the final stages of the war. For now, he was content with using his own power in addition to Kurama's chakra.

The three of them spent the rest of the morning and afternoon talking about their lives, dreams, hopes and anything at all. When they had moved from the training grounds to another clearing that was on a cliff overlooking a stream, Naruto and Naruko had to distract or outright drag or knock out the Toad Sannin when he went into his 'Super Pervert Mode' on multiple occasions when he spotted several women bathing in the stream below in skimpy outfits.

Although he was a bit disgruntled by their efforts, Jiraiya was mollified when Naruto, annoyed by his godfather's constant urge to ogle at any random female, utilized a jutsu he hadn't used since his fight with Kaguya: the Oiroke no Jutsu (Sexy Technique). To say Jiraiya was pleased was an understatement — the man literally flew off in an explosion of blood that erupted from his nose. Naruto had laughed his ass off at Jiraiya for falling for his technique once again.

Naruko's reaction however complete blindsided the blonde boy. She had at first laughed along with him, but then began to blush a tomato red and Naruto swore there was steam coming out of her ears. Naruko started sneaking glances at him, only for him to realize that he had forgotten to dispel his jutsu. After dispelling it he noticed that the girl looked slightly disappointed at that.

That was when a stray thought slipped through their bond, prompting Naruto to sport a massive blush as well. The look Naruko had given him confirmed his thoughts, as well as a near hysterically laughing fox in his stomach — Uzumaki Naruko swung both ways.

He was struck dumb at the discovery, but recovered quickly to try and console his terribly embarrassed girlfriend.

It was almost 4 in the afternoon when Jiraiya, having recovered from his pleasurable shock, suddenly remembered why he was there in the first place that morning before he got sidetracked. Naruto and Naruko were glad that the man hadn't been present at the disclosure of Naruko's sexuality, and they were thanking Kami for small mercies.

They didn't need the Sannin hounding them for details for his next issue of 'Icha Icha'.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Jiraiya called as he pulled the giant scroll off of his back. "I was supposed to give you two this when I came over this morning, but as you can clearly see, I got sidetracked by your sparring session. Anyways, I'm sure Naruto knows what this is, since he had signed it once before."

The young couple's eyes were wide when Jiraiya unfurled the scroll, Naruto's in fond nostalgia and Naruko's in awed wonder. Laid out in front of them was the toad summoning contract, with five names written in blood. The first three names in blood were too indistinct to recognize. The last two names however were clear to the Uzumaki siblings: Jiraiya and Namikaze Minato.

"Your dad signed this," Jiraiya began softly, "And I'm sure that he would want you both to sign this as well. It is yours by birthright after all."

Without hesitation Naruko bit her thumb hard enough to draw blood before writing out her full name in the column provided. Biting her thumb again as her healing factor had already sealed up the cut she made, she dabbed her fingers in blood before pressing it down on the scroll, sealing her pact with the toads. Naruto repeated the process with his own name and fingerprints, allowing Jiraiya to roll up the scroll once he was done.

"Two new summoners in one day," Jiraiya remarked, pride evident in his voice. "If only Bunta can see me now. Alright, here are the hand signs for the jutsu …"

After showing them the required hand signs (though Naruto already knew them by heart) the two blondes decided via unspoken agreement that Naruko should be the one to start the summoning first. Speeding through the hand signs, Naruko bit her thumb before slamming her hand on the ground.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu! (Summoning Technique)**" she yelled.

A large puff of smoke erupted from where Naruko had planted her hand, and once the smoke cleared she found herself standing on a yellow and brown toad about twice the size of Jiraiya who was already pushing at six feet two inches. The toad looked up at who was standing on its back as Naruko looked down from her place, smiling warmly at the creature.

"**Who are you, a new summoner?**" he asked.

Naruko nodded with a bright smile, ignoring Jiraiya's stunned gasp as she did. "Yes, I am." She confirmed. "My name is Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruko, Genin of Konohagakure no Sato."

"**Namikaze, as in Namikaze Minato-san?**" the toad asked, stunned surprise evident in his tone. When Naruko nodded, the toad smiled up at her. "**Good to meet you Naruko-san! You should probably summon the chief, Gamabunta. He's been feeling most dreadful after your father had summoned him to fight the Kyūbi all those years ago.**"

"Okay!" Naruko replied, jumping off the toad as it was reverse summoned back home. She turned towards Naruto, a nervous smile on her face when she remembered what the chief toad made her boyfriend do the first time around. She sincerely hoped she was up to the task. "Well, let's hope the boss is in a good mood today."

"You'll be fine, Naruko-chan." Naruto reassured. "Don't worry — you've got this!"

Naruko nodded, smiling at her boyfriend's words which he had used during the preliminaries to cheer her on.

Biting her thumb and going through the hand signs once again, she slammed her hand on the ground. This time however she poured a _lot_ more chakra into her technique as a _massive_ plume of smoke exploded around her. This time she was standing on a gigantic orange and black toad that was sporting a blue haori-like jacket, a tantō by its side and was smoking a stovepipe. The most distinctive feature of the toad was the scar that was on its left eye.

Naruto smiled up at the mountain of a toad. Gamabunta was still as massive and intimidating as ever.

"**JIRAIYA!**" the toad known as Gamabunta snarled. "**Why in the name of Kami have you summoned me?!**"

Naruko swallowed, feeling a ball of lead drop into the pit of her stomach. Only the comforting presence of Naruto in her mind and through their bond allowed her to pick up her courage and stare down at the toad. Gamabunta had also noticed that someone was on his head as well and looked up at a nervous, yet warmly smiling blonde girl.

"G-Gamabunta-san?" she began, cursing herself inwardly for her initial stutter. She was a kunoichi of Konoha, damn it! "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruko, Genin of—"

"**Namikaze …?**" Gamabunta interrupted her mid-sentence. Seeing Naruko nod, he smiled up at her. "**Well I'll be — you're Minato's little girl aren't you? I can see the resemblance now. Your father was a good man, little one. It certainly warms my heart that one of his offspring is my latest minion.**"

The toad sighed, resting his flippers on his tantō as he did. "**Normally I would test new summoners, but since I know of the burden you carry, your life was testing enough for you. If you ever need me, or anyone of the toads, just call.**"

"Thank you," Naruko said sincerely. "Before you go, I have someone to introduce to you. It may come as a shock, but bear with me okay?"

Gamabunta only gave an uncertain grunt in response. Smiling, Naruko jumped down from the giant toad to land beside Naruto who was looking at her with curiosity. She only gave him a grin as she looked up at Gamabunta who was watching in interest.

"Gamabunta, I'd like for you to meet your second new summoner," she called, gesturing towards the blonde boy. "His name is Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, my Onii-chan."

Naruto watched as Gamabunta's face flickered from surprise, recognition to acceptance in less than a few seconds. He was sure that Jiraiya could see it as well judging by the amused look the man was sending his old friend.

"**Another of Minato's offspring, huh? Hmph!**" Gamabunta said with a smirk, puffing on his pipe as he did. "**He may be your brother, but unlike you, he still needs to prove himself to me seeing as he couldn't even summon a toad as large as me yet!**"

Naruko was about to protest, but a calm hand on her shoulder calmed her down. Glancing at Naruto who shook his head with a small smile, she relented with a smile of her own when she noticed him mold chakra to perform his own summoning.

Naruto stepped forward, biting his thumb enough to draw blood. "As you wish, Oyabun! (Boss)" he said, speeding through the required hand signs at speeds that made even Jiraiya gape before slamming his palm on the ground. "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**"

Another large plume of smoke erupted before it cleared to reveal Naruto standing on another giant toad, this one a magenta colored toad armed with a shield and a fork-like weapon. Unlike Gamabunta, this toad had horn-like protrusions coming out of its head.

He was Gamaken, the clumsiest toad on Mount Myōboku (according to said toad).

"**Oh, hello there,**" Gamaken said as he looked up at Naruto who smiling down at him. "**My name is Gamaken.** **I hope I don't disappoint, as I am not as graceful as Gamabunta in combat, but I'll do my best.**"

"Don't worry about it Gamaken — you'll do great, I know it." Naruto replied, patting the toad on the head as he looked up at an impressed looking Gamabunta. "So, do I past your test, Oyabun?"

Gamabunta laughed.

"**You've got spunk kid!**" he said, "**I like it when my new minions have that kind of spunk in them! Nevertheless, you passed the test not because you managed to summon Ken, but as a favor to your father!**"

"I'll take what I can get," Naruto said, smiling warmly at the toad boss. "Thank you, Gamabunta-Oyabun."

With that, the two massive toads dispelled, leaving Naruto, Naruko and Jiraiya left at the clearing they were at. The Toad Sannin was looking at the two blondes with jealousy.

"Bunta accepted you two, just like that?" he said incredulously, "He made me stick on his back while he jumped around trying to throw me off for 12 hours! How is that fair?!"

Naruto and Naruko looked at one another before they shrugged in unison, earning a face-fault from their godfather. They laughed at the man's expense, who was grumbling about disrespectful blondes.

Naruko sighed as she looked up at the dusking sky. With the toad summoning contract, it was yet another link to her deceased parents that she had acquired ever since knowing about her heritage. Slipping a hand into Naruto's own, she smiled when she felt him squeeze her hand in comfort.

It was then she noticed the thoughtful look in his cerulean orbs, prompting her to ask.

"What is it, Naruto-kun?" she asked, tilting her head to the side in curiosity.

Naruto shook his head, smiling at her. "Nothing — just imagining Neji's face once I'm done training with you," he said. "He won't even know what hit him. I'll make sure of it."

Naruko nodded, remembering her — and by extension Naruto's — promise to Hinata to change the Hyūga Clan once she became Hokage.

The lavender eyed girl had come to see the blonde beauty ever since Naruko's name was paired with Neji's, and had explained to her why the older branch house member was so blinded by his hatred of the main house and by extension, Hinata as well. The Hyūga Heiress had all but begged her best friend to give her cousin a chance. The Caged Bird Seal, the main and branch houses — Hinata wanted Naruko's promise to change all of that once she became Hokage.

Naruko had given her best friend a promise of a lifetime, and Uzumakis never go back on her word. When she informed Naruto of her decision, he didn't even need to think twice before agreeing wholeheartedly with her to make good of her promise.

"Jiraiya-kyōfu," Naruko suddenly said, turning to look at the white-haired man. "Will you help me — help _us_ prepare for what is to come? The invasion, the Akatsuki, the Fourth War … will you help us make sure that Naruto-kun's dark future will never come to pass?"

"Naruko-chan …" Naruto breathed, stunned at the girl's words which brought a feeling of warmth in his heart.

Jiraiya smirked at the look in Naruko's eyes when she had asked that. It was the same look Kushina had had once she had an idea in her head and would see it through no matter what, no matter what the man said.

"Okay, you've convinced me." He began. Naruko cheered excitedly as Naruto fondly looked on. The white-haired man would've been disturbed if not for the obvious affection the boy held for his goddaughter. "But be warned — I'm going to work you two into the ground if you're going to have any hope of surviving against a group of S-rank criminals, especially the Akatsuki if what Naruto said was true."

"We wouldn't have it any other way," Naruto replied, grinning at the man. "Let's get started then!"

"Okay, but first —!" Naruko suddenly yelled, before a loud growl came from her stomach. She blushed at the looks she was receiving. "W-What? I was going to suggest we go get dinner. I don't know about you two but I am _starved_."

Naruto chuckled. "Okay, okay, we'll get dinner." He said, "As long as Ero-sennin pays."

"Don't call me that!"

"Hai, hai … whatever you say." The boy replied, much to the amusement of a giggling Naruko and a depressed looking Jiraiya.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

The month passed quickly for the Uzumaki siblings. With the Third Exam hanging over their heads along with the expected invasion from Sunagakure and Otogakure, both Naruto and Naruko were determined to train as much as they possibly could. That meant abusing the hell out of their shadow clones which they did on a regular basis, a thousand clones at a time.

With Naruto's help, Naruko had fully perfected her taijutsu style — the Fūmuchi no Mai — which had since become her signature style. She had also managed to incorporate wind chakra into her movements, making her attacks much more fluid and dangerous. Her control over her chakra chains had improved dramatically due to constant utilization and continuous chakra control exercises, allowing her to form them at a moment's notice without hand signs.

The weight of her gravity seals were also increased as well, which in turn increased her speed as well. Naruko didn't know it as Naruto hadn't told her — she was carrying nearly five hundred pounds of weight spreading evenly over her lithe form, and it did wonders to the blonde beauty's figure much to Naruto's delight. Naruto had also started her on the basics of mastery-level fūinjutsu, and the girl had absorbed it all like a dry sponge.

Naruto had also taken the liberty of testing her chakra affinity, which unsurprisingly was wind. There was also an unexpected but not unwelcome surprise as well.

When Naruko had channeled her chakra through a chakra induction paper, not only did the paper split in half — indicating she had an affinity to wind, both halves of the paper turned soggy as well — indicating she also had a strong secondary affinity to water as well. Suffice to say, the blonde girl was excited about the discovery. More affinities meant more techniques, more techniques meant she was becoming powerful and was one step closer to achieving her goal.

That night she had celebrated her discovering her affinities with a thorough snogging session with her most precious person. She was glad that their shared apartment was protected with their most powerful privacy and chakra suppression seals. Kami knows that Jiraiya would _somehow_ walk in on them and embarrass them.

In addition to Naruto's training, Jiraiya had also given her some pointers as well.

To start, she had learned mostly fire ninjutsu from the Sannin, as well as Jiraiya's favorite defensive technique — the **Hari Jizō (Needle Jizō)**. Jiraiya's reasoning was that because of Naruko's long hair, it was perfect for her as the initial requirements — having long hair — was already met.

On her first try after learning the hand seals, her hair had been a complete mess once she dispelled it much to her chagrin and Jiraiya's endless amusement. Said amusement was thankfully short lived when Naruto had '_accidentally'_ sent a tree toppling onto where the man stood. The blonde had cited _'accidentally_' overpowering his Rasengan when he was training with it. Of course, no one believed him especially when the boy flashed an all too innocent smile at Jiraiya.

She had rewarded him with an extra-long kiss for that.

It was three days before the start of the Third Exam that Naruto announced that she was ready — as ready she could ever be given the limited time they had available to them. Her taijutsu was solid, her ninjutsu was superb, and her physical training regime was coming along nicely.

It was also during this time that Naruto had a brand-new katana made tailored just for him. Revisiting the 'Tetsu no Konoha' blacksmith that had made his tri-pronged kunai, Naruto had requested the owner to forge him a new katana that was stronger than the generic ones sold by the smiths from the Land of Iron. The owner, a renowned blacksmith in his own right, gladly accepted Naruto's commission on the condition that Naruto himself was also taking part in the forging process.

While his clones trained, the original Naruto would visit the blacksmith — a man named Kuribayashi Kenichi — and together they went through the slow and painstaking process of forging his new katana. By methodically adding his chakra during the forging process, strengthening it far beyond any normal blade, the resulting katana was by far the old blacksmith's proudest work.

It had the standard outward appearance of a normal katana, but one does not judge a book by its cover. When Naruto had first closed his hand around the grip of the blade, he felt something within his conscience literally snap into place, filling him like pouring warm water down his spine. It was then and there that Naruto knew that the blade in his hand was the one.

He had a perfect name for his new sword — Reppūmaru.

It was also during this month that the Uzumaki Clan was reestablished as a major shinobi clan in Konoha, much to the shock of the Konoha High Council, both civilian and shinobi alike.

After careful deliberation, Naruto and Naruko had decided on leading their clan as joint-clan heads, with Naruto holding seniority in the clan — but in reality, any decision they make would be done together, either verbally or mentally. It was in situations like these that they truly cherished the bond they had with one another.

There was some resistance to the reinstatement, particularly from Danzō who maintained his stance that a clan head should be at least of chūnin rank to take the post, not genin. The war hawk had been especially vocal when Tsuchi Kin of Otogakure was offered asylum by the Uzumaki Clan, making her off limits without breaking their own laws.

The Uzumaki siblings shared a brief chuckle at the constipated look on the bandaged man's face when he noticed that his hands were tied, politically speaking. He couldn't do anything to the girl he so wished to extract valuable information from.

Hiruzen had reluctantly conceded to the crippled man's point but remained firm on his decision to reestablish the Uzumaki Clan in Konoha — without enacting the Clan Restoration Act, which Naruto had wisely crossed out from the fine print _before_ he had signed it.

Naruko had made this particular point absolutely clear — she was _not_ sharing her most precious person with anyone else. Naruto couldn't argue with that. The blonde beauty was everything he ever needed.

Then Hiruzen informed the council about the information of the imminent Suna-Oto Invasion provided by the defected Kin.

The council's reactions were as expected — shock, anger, disbelief and finally, fear. Most of the major shinobi clan heads still vividly remember the Third Shinobi World War that ended nearly ten years ago, and were more than wary of another war.

The civilians on the other hand were simply too scared to even think about the possibility of war.

After everyone had calmed down somewhat, plans and contingency plans to counter the invasion were discussed mainly among the ninja of the council, whereas the civilian side was given the task of evacuating civilians when the time came. Unsurprisingly, Danzō contributed more to this new line of discussion than any other council meeting in recent memory — even Hiruzen was impressed, though unsurprised. The old war hawk was aptly nicknamed after all.

In the end, the Sandaime made information about the invasion an A-rank village secret with only members of the Konoha High Council and the Commanders of Konohagakure's military had access to. The general populace was not warned of this as they might accidentally tip off Orochimaru of Konoha knowing about his plans. The less the civilians know of the situation the better.

There were many who were worried about the combined numbers of Suna and Oto shinobi, which puts Konoha in a rather perilous position as their forces were slightly outnumbered at a ratio of 2 to 1. The Hokage had reassured them that with the additions of Jiraiya of the Sannin and the recalling of their ANBU Black Ops operators, Konoha would be more than a match for Suna _and_ Oto despite the odds.

Unknown to the council however, Hiruzen had already discussed this particular dilemma with Naruto. The powerful man was confident that they could hold off the invaders, but at the cost of many lives and materials — just as Naruto had told him who had gone through it the first go around. The blonde boy's solution was simple yet extremely effective. The old man had gaped like a fish when the _ludicrous_ plan was put forth by his surrogate grandson.

_"__Leave it all to me, Hokage-Jiji."_ Naruto had said, _"After all, my name is Uzumaki-__**Namikaze**__ Naruto after all!"_

Years later, if one of them were to look back at what they had discussed on a bright Wednesday afternoon in the Hokage Office, they would fondly remember that it was the day Uzumaki Naruto and his closest confidants had _truly_ begun to change things for the better.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

"Are you ready, Onii-chan?" Naruko asked as she tied her hair to their usual pigtails, black ribbons and all, before strapping the rest of her gear to her person.

Naruto only nodded solemnly. "I can't believe that today's the day …"

"You and me both, Naruto-kun," she replied, sighing as she secured her equipment pouches and triple checked her supplies. "You and me both."

There was a deep rumble within their mindscapes.

**"****Kit, Vixen —** **are you two ****_absolutely_**** sure about this?"** Kurama asked for the umpteenth time, **"There will be no going back after this, and I doubt that Black Zetsu will remain ignorant for long. He ****_knows_**** someone has been meddling with his plans."**

Naruto shrugged weakly, chuckling as he did. "Truthfully? Not really." He replied. "There are so many ways that this whole plan could go off the rails the second the invasion starts. But, at the same time …"

Glancing at Naruko who gave him a weak smile, he continued. "Call it gut instinct, but _I know_ that I can change the outcome of this battle for the better. Even if that bastard were to be more wary of me in the future, it still doesn't change the fact that I can't just stand around and do _nothing_." He felt a small hand slip into his own. Naruto gave Naruko a grateful smile. "Kami-sama gave me a second chance, and it's time I repaid her by doing _everything_ I can to change things for the better. I may not be able to do much, but it's at least something."

"And you're not alone this time," Naruko spoke up, "And you will never be alone again. You're my most precious person Onii-chan, and we promised one another that we will do this _together_. So enough of this 'I' nonsense, '_we' _will do this."

Naruto only laughed, feeling the tension leave him with her words. "Hai, hai …"

As the two of them left the apartment and made their way towards the Chūnin Exam Stadium located in the middle of the village for the final part of the Chūnin Exams, they couldn't help but contemplate about what will happen in the coming months.

Saving Zabuza and Haku was one thing, but changing something as major as the Suna-Oto Invasion was something else entirely.

They couldn't change everything — Kami-sama had somehow placed a block on Naruto's consciousness to prevent him from doing anything that could potentially rip a hole in the fabric of reality. A sensible precaution, if one was to think about it.

But one thing was for certain — after today, _everything_ will never be the same again. For better … or for worse.

The Third Part of the Chūnin Selection Exams was about to commence, but neither of the two blondes cared much about that for they knew the grim truth. It was Naruko who had made the connection — the start of the Suna-Oto Invasion signaled to beginning of the countdown towards the Fourth Shinobi World War.

The race for the fate of the world had begun.

**_~ D ~ R ~_**

**And done!**

**Hello ladies and gentlemen and all my favorite people in the world! **

**Guess what? I'm not dead! Hah! Well, I'm sorry I didn't update this sooner, but life fir me has been stressful lately. This chapter didn't turn out the way I liked it, and after rereading it a few times and starting from scratch at least 3 times, I still wasn't satisfied with this chapter. I'd wager that this chapter would be just as bad as my 4****th**** Chapter, but that's just my opinion.**

**Anyways, next chapter —** **the Third Exam, as well as the Suna-Oto Invasion! We're ****_finally_**** here after, what, a year since I began writing? Fuck, that's long, even for me. Well, we've finally reached the climax of the pre-Shippūden timeline, the others being the Tsunade Retrieval Arc and the Sasuke Retrieval Arc. Tell me what you think of this chapter, since I'm still convinced it didn't turn out as best as it could.**

**Well, enough rambling from me. Enjoy the latest instalment of Destiny Rebirth! Oh, before I forget: HAPPY CHRISTMAS!**

**This is HEIROFROHAN signing off,**

**PEACE! **


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